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(Worthy News) – A pastor in Bryan, Ohio, has pleaded not guilty to charges of violating zoning restrictions by keeping his church’s doors open to the homeless 24 hours a day, 13 Action News reports. Pastor Chris Avell, who leads “Dad’s Place” church, appeared before the Bryan Municipal Court on Jan. 4, when the matter was set for trial.
In March last year, Avell decided to keep the Dad’s Place church building open continuously to allow homeless members of the community to rest or get out of the cold. However, charges were brought against Avell after the Bryan City Zoning Commission told him in November that his church is zoned as a Central Business and, as it does not have bedrooms, it cannot have people sleeping on the property.
The Chief of Bryan Police told 13 Action News in December: “A reasonable amount of time was given for both the tenant and property owner to fix the issues. Due to the safety of all involved, the city moved forward with filing charges.”
In a statement to reporters after the court hearing, Avell’s attorney, Jeremy Dys, said: “He pled ‘not guilty,’ as any pastor should, who is simply doing what churches throughout history have done: care for those who walk through their doors no matter the time of day. We hope Mayor Carrie Schlade will drop all of these charges and begin talking with us about how Pastor Chris and Dad’s Place will continue to contribute to the wonderful community of Bryan.”
Avell has vowed to keep his church doors open until a court rules otherwise. “Stop in to warm up or stay as long as you/they need. Everyone is also welcome to join in any classes or services we have,” Dad’s Place wrote in a Jan. 13 post on its Facebook page.