Florida megachurch pastor Rodney Howard-Browne closed the doors to his church Monday to protect his congregation from “a tyrannical government.”
“I actually have no choice at this juncture but to shut the church down this Sunday,” Howard-Browne, pastor of The River at Tampa Bay, said on his livestream call-in show.
Howard-Browne was arrested Monday and charged with misdemeanor counts of unlawful assembly and violating public health rules after hosting two Sunday services at The River church.
The River pastor defended Chronister post-arrest, saying, “People came after him, and he caved, and I actually feel very sorry for him … I have actually forgiven him … I actually personally like him, in the times I’ve met him.”
“I’m not caving,” added Howard-Browne, who is now free on a $500 bail.