�鶹��ƵAV

Pastor Chris Avell of Dad’s Place that serves veterans in need receives Philip B. Onderdonk Jr. Religious Liberty Award during 107th American Legion National Convention. 

During �鶹��ƵAV’s annual national convention, First Liberty Institute presents the Philip B. Onderdonk Jr. Religious Liberty Award to a champion of religious freedom. The award is an engraved Henry repeating rifle that features a 24-karat gold bald eagle, Statue of Liberty and Liberty Bell, and laser etched with the award emblem. This year’s recipient is Chris Avell, pastor of the church Dad’s Place in Bryan, Ohio, who provides a safe place, friendly face and help to those in need, to include veterans who are homeless, facing mental health issues and have nowhere else to go.

Roger Byron with First Liberty Institute presented the award to Avell at the 107^th American Legion National Convention in Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 2.  

“Pastor Avell and Dad’s Place are exactly the kind of people we like to honor with the Onderdonk Award. People that when the crisis comes, they stay true to their convictions, they don’t back away from the trouble,” Byron said. “They fight the good fight. That perfectly describes Pastor Avell and the church that he leads.”

Byron shared that First Liberty Institute is representing Dad’s Place as after eight years of serving the community, the town is trying to shut it down by demanding code requirements that hadn’t been there before.   

“As the code requirements began to come in, the church began to meet them. And then the town went over the line. It insisted that the church modify its building in an expensive way. It demanded the church retrofit its building with an automatic sprinkler system or shut down its 24/7 outreach to those in need,” Byron said.

Yet when First Liberty Institute investigated, it discovered that the town didn’t require local motels, apartments, senior center, homeless shelters or others to make the same modification.  

“We took up the matter, we represented the church in this matter, and we hope to land the church a victory so that they can continue to help veterans and others in need in their area,” Byron said.

As Avell accepted the award, he shared that he was “so honored to be able to speak with you and share with you my appreciation for you. It really wasn't until last night (at the national commander’s banquet) that I truly understood that I'm allowed to live out my faith because of the sacrifices of men and women like you, the men and women in this room. I'm allowed to freely live out my faith because so many came before me and stood the line that I may stand for my faith.”