A Florida pastor who was arrested for holding a church service in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has had his charges dismissed.
Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne, who pastors The River at Tampa Bay Church in Hillsborough County, Florida, held a church service in March despite the ordered closure of churches due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Howard-Browne was also accused of defying orders from authorities in his Flordia county, CBN News reports.
The criminal misdemeanor charges against the pastor, however, were dropped Friday.
Liberty Counsel, Howard-Browne's legal representation, released a statement regarding their client's legal situation.
"Neither the pastor nor The River at Tampa Bay Church did anything wrong," Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel says.