Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

A Florida Pastor Was Arrested After Holding Crowded Church Services In Spite Of The Coronavirus Outbreak

A Florida Pastor Was Arrested After Holding Crowded Church Services In Spite Of The Coronavirus Outbreak

Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne told his followers there was a plan to "shut down Christianity" - and that God might replenish their low supply of toilet paper.
A Florida pastor who refused to stop holding crowded church services was arrested after officials said he flouted emergency orders against public gatherings to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Florida officials said they had repeatedly reached out to Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne and staff at the River at Tampa Bay Church, asking them not to hold in-person services for fear it could expose parishioners to the virus. But the pastor continued to hold services Sunday.

"His reckless disregard for human life put hundreds of people in his congregation at risk, and thousands of residents who interact with them this week in danger," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a press conference.

Speaking to his congregation during one of two services Sunday, Howard-Browne spoke at length about the coronavirus and COVID-19, and he told people the church was "totally covered by the law."

"Not only the right of free speech, but the right to peaceful assembly and practice what we believe," he said, according to a video of the service. "Suddenly we're demonized because we believe God heals."

The pastor went on to claim coming "physical war" and that the regulations being put in place by local, state, and federal officials — restrictions aimed at saving lives by preventing the spread of the coronavirus — were being put in place to "shut down the church."

"The whole thing is planned that way to shut down the Gospel, to shut down Christianity," he said. "Someone said, 'No, you're making it up.' I'm not making it up."

Howard-Browne at one point suggested to his congregation that God would replenish by miracle their low supply of toilet paper.

"I believe this will be a time of supernatural sustenance," he said. "You look at your toilet paper and you think you're going to run out of toilet paper, but you have another roll where that other one was and you don't even know how that even took place. When you look again, there's still enough. You think you're going to run out, but when you look again there's still enough."

The congregation laughed as he talked about toilet paper.

Law enforcement officials said Howard-Browne ignored attempts to resolve the issue without an arrest, and they were unable to take him into custody him at the church because the pastor "has a vast security force."

"I believe there's nothing more important than faith during a time like this and, as a sheriff's office, would never impede someone to lean on their religious beliefs as a source of comfort, but practicing those beliefs has to be done safely," Chronister said. "Instead [he] was encouraging people to meet at his church."

Howard-Browne was charged with two second-degree misdemeanor counts of reckless disregard of unlawful assembly and violation of public emergency rules.

Chronister pointed out that, unlike many religious facilities, Howard-Browne's church has the ability to worship remotely and already broadcasts services to its followers online.

The pastor ultimately turned himself in to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and was released a few minutes later, he told BuzzFeed News.

In a message, Howard-Browne said he could not comment on his arrest "till the legal teams have thrashed everything out."

A high-profile supporter of President Trump’s, Howard-Browne has visited the White House and was one of several religious leaders who put their hands on the president and prayed over him in the Oval Office.

Arguing against closing the church, Howard-Browne compared his preaching in person to his congregation to missionaries who have traveled to war-torn Syria.

"If ever we need to have church it's in the middle of a pandemic," he said. "We're not worried about our life. We're not worried about our safety."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×