Hillsborough County Council just met and voted to reverse its order from law last Friday.
At the recommendation of County Attorney Christine Beck, the council voted to recognize churches as "essential."
Mayor Jane Castor wanted to impose the 10-person and 6-foot social distancing restriction on churches, but the council voted against her recommendation at the advice of counsel.
Any future guidance the county may issue will be recommendations and not enforceable.
Last night, Gov. Ron DeSantis also amended his executive order from April 1 in which he recognized attending "religious services conducted in churches, synagogues and houses of worship" as "essential activities."
The order from April 1 still allowed local governments to impose greater restrictions. Gov. DeSantis amended the order to require his order to be uniform across the state of Florida.
Churches are now recognized as "essential" and providing "essential activities" everywhere in Florida.
Liberty Counsel was hours away from filing a federal lawsuit against Hillsborough County.
The County Council knew that lawsuit was forthcoming.
As a result, the lawsuit will be placed on hold.
Sheriff Chad Chronister made many false statements this week about The River at Tampa Bay Church and Pastor Howard-Browne.
Those statements must be retracted.
His statements also placed Pastor Howard-Browne and the church in physical harm.
Pastor Howard-Browne has received abusive words and death threats since Sheriff Chronister's press conference on Monday and his media circuit.
Liberty Counsel is calling upon the Hillsborough County Sheriff's office to provide protection to the church.
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Liberty Counsel is also calling upon Sheriff Chronister to provide in writing an assurance that he will not arrest anyone at the church.
Last Thursday, he told the pastor and staff they could meet, and then issued a warrant for Pastor Howard-Browne's arrest on Monday, in which he publicly shamed the pastor and the church.
The criminal charge must be immediately dismissed, and the file sealed.
The sheriff has done great damage to Pastor Howard-Browne and The River church.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said,
"We are pleased that The River at Tampa Bay Church can meet.
This church is essential to the community.
The church feeds 900 families each week and goes to certain places of the inner city where law enforcement does not go. The Hillsborough County order was unconstitutional.
The county knew the lawsuit was coming this week and knew they would not win.
We are also pleased that every church in Florida is now free to worship. Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne brought worldwide attention to an unconstitutional order and arrest."
This article originally appeared at Liberty Counsel.
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Amen to God
ReplyDeleteAmen. Glory to God.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that is why infected individuals have doubled in a week...We are giving a stay home order then allowing people to congregate in churches..very smart move!
ReplyDeleteShut up
DeleteSo disgusting. Churches are NOT essential and services can 100% be done online. There is ZERO reason to continue to put other lives at risk for your selfish ignorance.
ReplyDeleteShut up
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ReplyDeleteI think this will be very bad for Florida. Perhaps for the sake of the law, to protect religious freedom it’s a win, though I don’t think that is really an issue here, but if these pastors don’t use wisdom
And ‘love your neighbor’ from a distance then they will all suffer.
I am put out with RHB, and just as much so Christians who are defending him. Anyone in ministry knows he wasn’t concerned about protecting or tending his flock, he was concerned with how his offering plate would be affected.
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Oh shut up
DeleteHow does Thr President’s coronavirus guidelines fit into what we as churches are to do?
ReplyDeleteIt goes against meducal advice and it puts people unnecessarily at risk of exposure to the virus.
DeletePlease people. The church needs to win this legally or it risks looking its right to exist, further the bible police will come to a home near you. That said, church is people who follow Christ. They should also be good deed people. That means most essential is the best practice of giving to others in need, and yes, it takes money to uphold that. The 6 ft rule might not be adequate if singing together at a gathering. Masks and gloves and sanitizer SHOULD be used by EVERYBODY. Its worth taking no risks....pastors, please, don't flaunt freedoms. On the other hand, proper practices show respect of God, humans, andgoverning bodies.
ReplyDeleteI concur.
Delete*looking, not looking...
ReplyDeleteMustard seed-sized faith is all it takes sayeth the Lord!
ReplyDeleteAman
DeleteChurches are more essential than anything else. Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word proceedth from the mouth of God .we need the word of God. So we need the church to be open to gather
ReplyDeleteand worship our almighty God.
Oh please! This kind of stubborn, self centered idiocy is what drives people away from the Lord! You do NOT need to go into a certain building to meet with God! Jesus promised he'd be "wherever to or three are gathered". Aand even that can be done online now! Love your neighbor as yourself, and stay home!
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DeleteShut up
Delete