A Florida sheriff obtained an arrest warrant for a pastor who defied coronavirus social-distancing orders and held church services Sunday.
Florida Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister issued a Monday warrant for megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne after the pastor held two Sunday religious services at the River at Tampa Bay Church in Florida, the Tampa Bay Times reported. A live stream of the service showed that it was widely attended.
“Because of the reckless disregard of public safety and after repeated requests and warnings, I worked with our state attorney, Andrew Warren, to obtain a warrant for unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency rules, both of which are second degree misdemeanors,” Chronister said at a news conference, the publication reports.
Announcing the arrest of Dr. Ronald Howard-Browne, Pastor of The River at Tampa Bay Church, who intentionally and repeatedly disregarded state and local public health orders, which put his congregation and our community in danger. pic.twitter.com/1gERVdzyIp
— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) March 30, 2020
“Our goal here is not to stop anyone from worshiping, but the safety and well-being of our community must always come first.” (RELATED: Southern Churches Draw Hundreds To Sunday Services Despite Coronavirus Restrictions)
Chronister said at a news conference that the Sheriff’s Office had warned Howard-Browne and church attorneys at The River at Tampa Bay Church not to endanger worshipers by holding church services. There have been 5,000 cases of coronavirus and 60 deaths from the virus in Florida, Axios reports as of Monday morning.
“In a time of national crisis, we expect certain institutions to be open and certain people to be on duty,” the River at Tampa Bay Church said in a statement. “We expect hospitals to have their doors open 24/7 to receive and treat patients. We expect our police and firefighters to be ready and available to rescue and to help and to keep the peace.”
“The Church is another one of those essential services,” the church added in the statement. “It is a place where people turn for help and for comfort in a climate of fear and uncertainty.”
The River at Tampa Bay said the church is continuously cleaning and sanitizing surfaces and encouraged parishioners who are not feeling well to stay home and watch services online.
Right-wing pastor Rodney Howard-Browne is not about to cancel church or prevent congregants from shaking hands because they are not a bunch of “pansies.” pic.twitter.com/C36kBIEWqF
— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) March 15, 2020
“We feel that it is very important, at this time, that we keep our doors open for anyone who needs prayer or ministry and to make ourselves available to minister hope and healing and comfort to them,” the church added.
“We are the Body of Christ and the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe God‘s Word to us, which says to trust Him and to not be fearful but to have faith in Him. We are praying — as are our fellow Christians around the world — and we know that God answers prayers.”
Neither the church nor Howard-Browne have responded to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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