The latest twist in a battle over an Ohio pastor’s efforts to help the homeless

The Rev. Chris Avell started welcoming homeless people to his Ohio church last year .

The city of Bryan , Ohio , charged him with violating its zoning code.

In January , he pleaded not guilty to 18 zoning charges, then filed a federal religious freedom lawsuit against the city.

Now, the city has dropped all charges against him, but a related federal lawsuit remains unresolved.