Ohio pastor who let people shelter in church hit with new fire code complaint

An Ohio pastor who let people shelter overnight in his church is facing a new accusation that he violated the city's fire code.

Bryan Fire Chief Douglas Pool filed a complaint in municipal court on Friday about Dad's Place church pastor Chris Avell.

"We did not want to do this. We must do this for the safety of the people using the church, renters in space above the church and the businesses adjacent to the building," Bryan Mayor Carrie Schlade said in a release. "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."

Avell was criminally charged with multiple zoning code violations in December, but those charges were dropped in February after he filed a countersuit against the city. Dad's Place opened its doors as a 24-hour warming shelter in March 2023.

According to a city press release from February, the pastor agreed at the time to stop letting people reside at the church and to seek necessary certificates and zoning permits. During the fire department's inspection Wednesday, 15 people were found sleeping in the main room of the church, the mayor's press release said.

The First Liberty Institute and the law firms Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and Spengler Nathanson PLL, which represent Avell, said in a press release Thursday that fire and police officials showed up to the church at 5:30 a.m. this week for the inspection.

Pool said the violations carry the potential for a daily fine of $1,000. The department gave Avell a seven-day notice, which ends May 1. However, penalties likely won't be due May 1, Pool said. Avell will be able to file an appeal or fix the violations to avoid the fines.

Avell's attorneys claim the pastor has addressed several of the safety concerns fire officials raised. Pool previously accused Avell of multiple fire safety violations at the church during November and January inspections.

A court hearing is scheduled for May 16.