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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Erum Salam and agencies

Ohio pastor fights court battle with city over shelter for unhoused people

A middle-aged white man with brown hair and a brown beard, wearing a blue zip-up flannel, sits in court.
Chris Avell, right, pastor of Dad’s Place, sits in court in Bryan, Ohio, on 11 January. Photograph: AP

A Christian pastor is fighting back against a city in Ohio after it charged him with breaking a municipal law by opening up his place of worship to unhoused people as well as others who need shelter.

Police in Bryan, Ohio, filed 18 charges accusing Chris Avell – the pastor of Dad’s Place – with zoning violations at his rented church building. Officers alleged that the church lacked proper kitchen and laundry facilities, safe exits and adequate ventilation, as required.

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