Attendees are required to register in advance.
TAMPA, Fla. — The River at Tampa Bay Church is planning to hold its first in-person worship service since its pastor was arrested for holding a service during the pandemic.
Earlier this month, charges were dropped against Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne, who had been accused of violating Hillsborough County's "safer-at-home" order to hold a packed Sunday service on March 29.
At the time, Sheriff Chad Chronister described Pastor Browne's actions as "reckless disregard for public safety." Browne was arrested at his home on March 30, and Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren filed a pair of charges, including unlawful assembly. Those have since been dismissed.
On May 31, the day of Pentecost, The River at Tampa Bay Church will hold an outdoor service on its property. The service will begin at 9:30 a.m.
It will be held in the church parking lot, covered by AstroTurf. It can accommodate anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 people, who will be encouraged to bring their own chairs.
“The River at Tampa Bay Church is essential to the community and feeds 900 families each week," Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver wrote in a statement. "The church ministers to certain places of the inner city where law enforcement officers are cautious to go. This Sunday will be an incredible time of worship, celebration, and healing.”
Attendees are required to register in advance. The registration page is already open, and more than 2,800 people say they'll attend.
The Sunday service will kick off nightly revival services at 5:30 p.m. Sunday through Saturday.
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