Ohio Pastor Faces Jail for Sheltering Homeless in Church
A pastor in Bryan, Ohio, could face jail time for letting homeless people stay in his church. Pastor Chris Avell, from Dad’s Place Church in Bryan, was found guilty on Tuesday. City officials said the church was not complying with fire safety regulations and a court agreed, finding Pastor Chris Avell guilty of a fire code violation.
The Bryan Municipal Court judge fined him $200 and issued a 60-day suspended jail sentence (meaning he’ll only go to jail if he violates the code again). However, as reported by the First Liberty Institute, the judge has paused this decision for 30 days to give the pastor time to appeal the ruling. The pastor’s legal team argues that he shouldn’t be penalised for providing shelter to the homeless.
The Associated Press and Spectrum News reported that, according to Judge Kent North’s ruling, Avell could face jail time if he continues to allow people to stay in his church 24/7 without official approval confirming that the building meets fire safety standards.
Bryan Fire Department Chief Douglas Pool said in a statement, “This has been about fire code compliance for public safety.”
“It’s never been about anything as far as religion, and we are appreciative of the court’s findings today to again show that we are trying to protect the public by enforcement of the fire code.”
Ryan Gardner, counsel for First Liberty Institute, in a statement on Tuesday, condemned the decision, saying
“No pastor in America, including Pastor Chris Avell, should be pronounced guilty for providing temporary shelter to those in desperate need,” he added. “Only government officials could say with a straight face that people are safer in the sub-zero temperatures on the street than inside the warmth of a church.”
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The legal conflict between Pastor Avell and city officials started in March 2023, when he decided to keep his church open 24/7 to provide shelter for local homeless people. The city charged him with 18 violations of zoning laws, including issues with kitchen and laundry facilities, unsafe exits, and poor ventilation.
In January 2024, Avell and his lawyers met with city officials. Afterwards, it was agreed that the city would drop the charges if Avell stopped using the church for housing and worked to get the necessary building certifications, zoning permits, and safety upgrades.
However, in April, new citations were issued to Dad’s Place and the building owner, Riehle Rentals, after city inspectors found two fire code violations. The issues involved the lack of an automated sprinkler system in the main room, where 15 people were sleeping during the fire chief’s inspection.
As reported by WTOL 11, Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade, in a statement, stated, “We did not want to do this. We must do this for the safety of the people using the church, renters in the space above the church and the businesses adjacent to the building.
“This is not some bureaucratic dispute between Dad’s Place and the city. This is a very dangerous situation for the people that Dad’s Place has invited in to stay overnight.”
The First Liberty Institute argues that while the city is pushing the church to install an expensive fire suppression system, it doesn’t enforce the same requirement for many of its hotels, apartment complexes, or even senior living facilities.
Content Credit| Igbakuma Rita Doom
Picture Credit | https://www.13abc.com/
