In the city of Bryan, Ohio, a seemingly harmless act of compassion has turned into a legal nightmare for a local pastor. His story exposes the ineptitude of many local governments when it comes to helping the homeless.
Pastor Chris Avell is suing the city after being charged for housing and feeding homeless individuals in his church. He found himself in the city’s crosshairs when he offered shelter to people who needed to escape the freezing weather.
An Ohio pastor who was charged with zoning violations for housing people experiencing homelessness has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Bryan and its officials.
Earlier this year, Pastor Chris Avell decided to keep the doors of his church, Dad’s Place, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to reach out to the city’s most “vulnerable.” Bryan is a small city of about 8,600 people, 65 miles west of Toledo.
In December, Avell…
