Both sides in a battle pitting church vs. state in the Jefferson County seat maintain their position is validated by a book.

The Rev. Jack L. Wisor said the Bible supports his ministry of providing the homeless with shelter and other assistance in his First Apostles Doctrine Church in Brookville.

"That's what we stand for and believe and what Christ has taught us to do," he said, invoking Matthew 25:31-46, a parable about helping those in need.

But Brookville borough solicitor Stephen French countered that the Good Book notwithstanding, the municipality's book of zoning codes prohibits using the church as a homeless shelter because it's in a commercial district.

"I personally think the work he does is wonderful," Mr. French said, "but we're not going to allow someone to violate the zoning laws because they do it in the name of Jesus Christ."

The dispute has reverberated in Brookville, an otherwise quiet town of 4,600 residents and 16 churches that's 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Thus far the brouhaha has included one court hearing and the scheduling of at least one more; the threat of lawsuits; a press release by the Rev. Wisor claiming police and a code enforcement officer "stormed" his church without a warrant; and accusations and entrenched positions on both sides.

For now, the borough has prevailed -- a district judge fined the Rev. Wisor $500 on Aug. 5 for violating the zoning code by allowing three homeless men to live in the parsonage of the 111-year-old church.

The Rev. Wisor has appealed to Jefferson County Common Pleas Court, contending the church should be allowed to provide shelter to "guests" in its parsonage because it is part of its ministry. A hearing is expected in November.

"When we present the truth and all of the evidence is in order, we know that God is going to be victorious," said the Rev. Wisor, a minister for nine years who turns 45 today. "We should be permitted to have missionaries, guests or anyone to stay in the parsonage under our rights of religious belief.

"Our concern is, what gives them the right to come in and tell you who you can and cannot keep in your home?"

But Mr. French said that regardless of good deeds done in the name of God, the law of man must be obeyed.

"I commend him for devoting his life to helping people, which is similar to what I do as an attorney, helping people," Mr. French said, "but I can't open a law practice in a residential district, and he can't have a residential facility in a commercial district. This is why we have zoning".

The citation and conviction were troubling to the Rev. Wisor but more so was an incident Sept. 4, when code enforcement officer Robert Receski, accompanied by police, showed up at the church about 10 a.m.

Mr. Receski claimed evidence could be seen through the windows that people were still living there and he wanted to investigate. The Rev. Wisor demanded a search warrant, but Mr. Receski explained that code enforcement officers don't need one under state law.

What happened next is under dispute. In a press release titled "Police, Zoning Officer Storm "Brookville Church," the Rev. Wisor accused four borough police officers and Mr. Receski of desecrating the church sanctuary. He said one of the officers, who, unlike the others, was not in uniform but was dressed in an orange T-shirt with a skull and crossbones, climbed through a church window and opened the door for the others.

Inside, the Rev. Wisor said, were three homeless men who were not living there but were simply helping prepare clothing and food for distribution to the homeless, including those on Pittsburgh's North Side, which the Rev. Wisor visits monthly. He said the officials ordered the men to leave the church. He accused Mr. Receski of using vulgarity against them.

No citation has been issued from that visit.

"They're discriminating," the Rev. Wisor said in an interview. "They don't want these people in their community. I believe it is bias toward a minority group of people."

Mr. French strongly denied the allegation and said he is growing tired of it.

"We are certainly not persecuting him," Mr. French said. "For him to make that allegation is ridiculous. I just think he wants to blow this up into more than what it is. It absolutely is not about his church, their religion or any of that. We welcome them. He just can't house people there.

"I have said to Mr. Wisor, when he personally attacked me and told me I was going to go to hell for assisting the borough and making people homeless, that if he had done his homework he would have figured out the zoning district where this would be appropriate."

Mr. Receski declined comment, citing the pending court case and the possibility of lawsuits being filed by the Rev. Wisor. Police Chief Kenneth Dworek denied the Rev. Wisor's claims of improper actions during the incident and the minister's assertion his church is being harassed to chase away the homeless.

"We do not do things that way, never have and never will," Chief Dworek said.

William Kerr III, the Rev. Wisor's attorney, said he wasn't at the church for the Sept. 4 incident but added, "I think the U.S. and Pennsylvania constitutions generally prohibit unwarranted searches and seizures. I don't think a zoning officer has a right to enter someone's home at any time without a warrant. I don't think that's a novel position.

"I generally don't speculate on the motivation of other individuals. But I think it is interesting to note, though, that there's only one ministry that has a substantial homeless outreach and it is under this sort of attack."

He said he has contacted the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Center for Law & Justice about the matter, vowing to "vigorously pursue all options we have in this case."

Appeals, potential lawsuits and accusations notwithstanding, the Rev. Tim McConville, pastor of the Evangelical United Methodist Church in Brookville, frames the situation as good people on either side trying to do what they feel is best for the community. His hope is that because of it all, something good and long-lasting will come to Jefferson County -- an awareness that the homeless problem must be addressed.

"Jack is a man with a lot of passion and compassion for people who don't have anywhere to go. Jack is providing a great service, and I've seen a lot of people who really do support him."

He said that prior to the controversy, he wasn't aware of the county's homeless problem and credited the Rev. Wisor with informing the community.

"More people know what's going on now. At times, we like to think we don't have a problem, which makes it a lot easier. Now we have to decide what we're going to do about it," he said, noting he was speaking for himself and not as president of the 20-member Brookville Area Ministerial Society, which has not yet met to discuss the issues.

"We need to find a good solution to this. It's the basic gospel of Jesus Christ."