BRYAN, Ohio — An Ohio appeals court has reversed a lower-court injunction that barred a Bryan church from allowing people to stay overnight inside its building , ruling that the judge applied the wrong legal test and failed to consider the state constitution’s broader protections for religious exercise.

The decision by the 6th District Court of Appeals means Dad’s Place, a downtown Bryan church with a 24-hour ministry, can continue operating its overnight program while the case returns to the Williams County Court of Common Pleas for additional review. The city’s civil enforcement case will continue in the trial court and a separate criminal appeal involving Pastor Chris Avell remains pending.

The ruling does not end the litigation but requires the trial judge to reevaluate the case

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