Judge Crushes City's 3 Year War on Ohio Pastor Who Opened Church Doors to the Homeless

Ohio Judge Permanently Dismisses Lawsuit Against Pastor Chris Avell's Homeless Ministry at Dad's Place Church

A judge in Williams County, Ohio has permanently dismissed a city lawsuit that sought to shut down a church's homeless ministry, ruling that the city failed to prove its case under strict scrutiny.

Judge James D. Bates of the Court of Common Pleas of Williams County issued a final order in the case of Fire Chief Douglas Pool, City of Bryan Fire Department v. Dad's Place and Riehle Rentals, LLC, dismissing the complaint with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled.

Pastor Chris Avell launched his 24/7 ministry to the homeless at Dad's Place in Bryan, Ohio in 2023. The small church, located in a city of about 8,600 people roughly an hour west of Toledo, welcomed an average of eight homeless individuals to sleep overnight along with two church volunteers.

Shortly after the ministry began, Bryan city officials filed 18 criminal charges against the church over building code violations. Fire Chief Douglas Pool demanded the church install a sprinkler system, despite the church's inability to afford it. In January 2025, a city judge found Avell guilty of violating zoning and fire codes, imposing a $200 fine and a 60 day suspended jail sentence.

In his ruling, Judge Bates wrote that Pool "has not identified a specific interest here that would justify shutting down Dad's Place because it lacks a sprinkler system" and that "his decision to wait years before enforcing the fire code confirms that no such interest exists."

Pool has also failed to prove that the City's fire code enforcement against Dad's Place is the least restrictive means of achieving the City's interests. Here, there are multiple alternatives to forcing the Church to shut down its ministry for lack of a sprinkler system, any one of which is fatal to Chief Pool's case under strict scrutiny.

The judge further stated that an "injunction would inflict irreparable harm on the Church by shutting down its ministry" and that "Chief Pool has failed to prove that the public interest would be advanced by the issuance of a permanent injunction enjoining Dad's Place from continuing to live out its faith by serving the vulnerable population of Bryan."

Pastor Chris Avell Vindicated as Court Rules City's Campaign Against Church Homeless Shelter Was Unjustified

Jeremy Dys, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute, which represented the church, said the ruling "should put an end once and for all to the city's relentless attacks on Dad's Place and Pastor Chris."

All Pastor Chris ever wanted to do was keep the doors of his church open to those in desperate need of temporary shelter. It's past time for the city to end its mean spirited, three year campaign of harassment of this church.

The case drew national attention from outlets including NPR, NBC News, and The Associated Press, highlighting the tension between local code enforcement and religious liberty protections.

The Crusader's Opinion

A man opens his church doors to keep homeless people from freezing to death, and the government's response is to file 18 criminal charges and try to shut him down. Let that sink in. The city of Bryan, Ohio spent three years and untold taxpayer dollars trying to destroy a ministry that did nothing but serve the most vulnerable people in their community. They could have worked with the church. They could have helped find solutions. Instead, they chose persecution. Thank God a judge with a backbone finally put an end to this disgraceful campaign. Pastor Chris Avell stood firm, and the Lord honored his faithfulness. This is what real Christianity looks like: doors open, hands extended, and an unshakable refusal to abandon those the world has forgotten.

Take Action

• Support Dad's Place church and Pastor Chris Avell's ongoing ministry to the homeless in Bryan, Ohio. Follow their work on Facebook.
• Support First Liberty Institute, the legal organization that defended Pastor Avell's religious liberty rights at no cost.
• Donate to www.TheShepherdsShield.org to support persecuted Christians and those facing legal battles for living out their faith.
• Contact your local representatives and urge them to protect religious liberty and support faith based homeless ministries in your community.
• If your church has spare capacity, talk to your pastor about opening your doors to serve homeless neighbors. Every church can make a difference.