A pastor in Bryan, Ohio, is facing criminal charges after being accused of allowing homeless people to take overnight refuge in his church, which the city says has led to serious safety and zoning violations.
Chris Avell pleaded not guilty to 18 zoning law violation charges last week in Bryan over his refusal to turn overnight guests away from his church, Dad’s Place, as a homeless shelter next door struggles with overcrowding, his attorney said.
“It’s a housing crisis in Bryan,” Jeremy Dys, an attorney with the religious freedom group First Liberty who is representing Avell, told HuffPost Thursday. “For people who are in need of a place to stay, for a few minutes or a little bit of time, the doors are open.”
Dad’s Place, where Avell has been the pastor since 2018, is a small, “diner-sized” building that receives a dozen or more people a night, depending “on the night and how cold it is,” Dys said. In addition to regular worship services and Bible study groups, the church’s website advertises free dinners, movie nights and other community events.
Overnight guests sometimes include people who were turned away from the shelter next door, or people who have been dropped off by police, Dys said.
“They’re complaining about people being there and they’re also bringing people to seek shelter there,” he said of the city’s law enforcement. “It’s really bizarre.”
Avell started keeping his doors open 24 hours a day early last year, Dys said. This was around when the city said its police department started to receive an increase in calls about inappropriate activity at the location.
“Some of the calls were for criminal mischief, trespassing, overdose, larceny, harassment, disturbing the peace and sexual assault,” the city said in a statement to HuffPost shared by the city’s…
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