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.
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.
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.
Some of the issues have been fixed, but the city says the church still lacks a permit that would allow people to stay overnight.
On Tuesday, a city judge found Pastor Chris Avell guilty of violating zoning and fire codes in a criminal case.
