A pastor in Florida has been charged after continuing to host crowded church services despite a ban on gatherings of 10 or more people.

"They are trying to beat me up, you know, over having the church operational but we are not non-essential," Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne, the Tampa church's founding pastor, said during Sunday's service according to FOX News.

Howard-Browne said that they brought in equipment to sanitize the building, and argued his congregation was just as essential as Walmart.

The pastor was arrested on Monday and charged with unlawful assembly and violation of public health emergency order.

Howard-Browne was released shortly after being charged.

At a press conference held Monday afternoon, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said "We're hoping that this serves as a deterrent ... Shame on this pastor, their legal staff, and the leaders of this church for forcing us to do our job," Chronister added. "That's not what we wanted to do during a declared state of emergency."

FOX News says that the church held two services on Sunday. "They have access to technology allowing them to livestream their services over the internet and broadcast to their 400 members from the safety of their own homes, but instead they chose to gather at church," Chronister explained.

The State Attorney, Andrew Warren, also spoke at the news conference saying "putting your parishioners at risk in a time of emergency like this is not only reckless but illegal ... Loving your neighbours is protecting them ... not exposing them to this virus."