Officials in the small Ohio town of Bryan have decided to drop criminal charges against a local faith leader, Pastor Chris Avell, who had been indicted for housing the homeless in his church in violation of city zoning laws. Pastor Avell, as background, had decided to keep his church open all day every day in March of 2023 because the homeless shelter in the area kept filling up, and he though the homeless needed shelter which his church could provide.
But then, instead of being supported by the leaders in the city of about 8,400 people, Pastor Avell was indicted. The city slapped him with 18 zoning law charges over the decision to keep the church open, with those charges mainly stemming from the church not meeting the necessary facilities for housing, such as safe exits and proper ventilation.
However, the legal team for Pastor Avell was fortunately able to get the charges dropped. Such is what the First Liberty Institute, which represented him, announced in a press statement, saying, “First Liberty Institute and city officials in Bryan, Ohio announced today that the city has agreed to drop all criminal charges against Dad’s Place Pastor Chris Avell. Dad’s Place has in turn agreed to cease residential operations and to seek proper building certifications, and zoning permits for the operations it plans to pursue together with the installation of any necessary safety measures associated with those permits. Negotiations continue as both sides seek to find a final resolution to the matter.”
That statement from First Liberty quoted numerous individuals involved, all of whom seemed happy to have reached a solution of sorts. For example, Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade said, “The city of Bryan appreciates the willingness of Dad’s Place to work with the city to resolve the parties’ differences amicably and to ensure that the services provided by Dad’s Place are delivered in a safe manner.”
Mayor Schlade continued, “The parties continue to work together in a concerted effort to bring the case to a final resolution. Similarly, Marc Fishel, a Bryan City Attorney, said, “The City’s has always focused on health and safety and we are grateful that the parties are working towards a solution.”
Pastor Avell, for his part, said that he has been praying for all involved, saying, “I am thankful to God, the city, and for everyone who has been praying for this day to come. Bryan is my home. I am eager to continue to serve God, my community, and the people I love.”
Joining in was First Liberty’s Senior Counsel, Jeremy Dys, who said, “We are grateful that the city of Bryan has dropped the criminal charges against Pastor Avell. Ministries like Dad’s Place provide vital public services to their communities. We will continue our conversations with city officials in hopes that we can find a final resolution where Dad’s Place can continue to serve those in need in its community.”
Watch Pastor Avell appear on Fox News Channel to discuss his situation here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video