Charges Against Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne Dropped

Pastor Howard-Browne and his wife founded the church in 1996. He also heads Revival Ministries International. He was born in South Africa and has resided in Tampa, Florida since the mid-1990s.

Liberty Counsel represents Pastor Howard-Browne. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister previously held a press conference announcing the arrest with the state attorney, Andrew Warren, present. After the arrest, the state attorney referred to this unlawful arrest in his campaign for reelection.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “The arrest of Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne was politically motivated. Neither the pastor nor The River at Tampa Bay Church did anything wrong. The arrest and the press conference were outrageous and caught the attention of the nation and the world. As a result of this arrest, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared attendance at churches, synagogues and houses of worship to be an essential activity. This arrest freed up every church in Florida to meet. We are pleased that all the charges have been dropped. It is now time to move forward with healing and restoration.”