For more than a year, a pastor who opened his church around the clock to shelter and give hope to homeless people has been at odds with an Ohio city over the building housing his ministry. On Tuesday, a city judge found Pastor Chris Avell guilty of violating zoning and fire codes in a criminal case. But his battle is not over. His attorneys, who last year filed a federal lawsuit accusing the city of harassing and humiliating the church and its congregants, have vowed to appeal the conviction.
The church, called Dad's Place, remains open to temporarily shelter people while it also appeals a separate civil case allowing the city of Bryan to enforce its zoning and fire codes on the building. Why did the city take on the church?. Bryan Fire Chief Douglas Pool says the city’s main concern is that the building does not have the proper permits for people to be sleeping inside Dad’s Place.
Inspectors first noticed people sleeping in the church a year ago after earlier finding a mix of code violations. Some of the issues have been fixed, but the city says the church still lacks a permit that would allow people to stay overnight. Securing the permit would require costly improvements, including fire sprinklers.
The fire chief says the city is obligated to enforce the codes, otherwise it could be at fault if disaster strikes. “If we don’t do anything, who’s going to get blamed?” Pool said. “We’re in a position where we need to enforce the code.”. How has the church responded?.
