Overview

• Pastor Christopher Avell of Dad’s Place Church in Bryan, Ohio, is facing 18 criminal charges for keeping his church open 24 hours a day to provide shelter and food to those in need, violating several city ordinances, zoning codes and state fire codes.
• City officials sent Avell a cease-and-desist letter over zoning and safety code violations, as the church is zoned within the city’s central business district, which prohibits residential use of the first floor of any building.
• Despite the city's demands, the church chose to remain open, citing its religious obligation to care for 'the least of these' in its community.
• The city alleges that the church has serious safety violations, including a gas leak caused by improper installation of an unapproved gas dryer, inadequate exits and limited ventilation.
• Dad’s Place Church has filed a lawsuit against the city, alleging that the city’s actions violate the church’s First and Fourteenth Amendment protections. The church is seeking a temporary restraining order to keep city officials from using the city’s ordinances to burden the church’s religious exercise.