A Florida pastor who was arrested for holding a church service in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has had his charges dismissed.

Dr. Rodney Howard-Browne, who pastors The River at Tampa Bay Church in Hillsborough County, Florida, held a church service in March despite the ordered closure of churches due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Howard-Browne was also accused of defying orders from authorities in his Flordia county, CBN News reports.

The criminal misdemeanor charges against the pastor, however, were dropped Friday.

Liberty Counsel, Howard-Browne's legal representation, released a statement regarding their client's legal situation.

"Neither the pastor nor The River at Tampa Bay Church did anything wrong," Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel says.

Staver says Howard-Browne's arrest resulted in Flordia Governor Ron DeSantis's announcement that attendance at churches, synagogues, and other places of worship are essential activities during COVID-19.

"This arrest freed up every church in Flordia to meet," Staver says.

Staver says the church service that resulted in Howard-Browne's charges had been prepared for in order to make it safe for all congregants attending.

"The church went above and beyond the requirements for secular businesses to protect the health and well-being of the people who attended," Howard-Browne said in an earlier statement.

"We are pleased that all the charges have been dropped ... it is now time to move forward with healing and restoration," Staver says.

A Notice of Termination of Prosecution outlines the dismissal of Howard-Browne's charges.

"Having reviewed the charge(s) contained in the Criminal Report Affidavit and/or Notice to Appear, the State Attorney's Office informs you that the charge(s) contained therein is/are dismissed and prosecution is terminated as of this date and that the defendant need not appear for any further proceedings in this matter," the document reads.

State Attorney Andrew Warren in a statement says Hillsborough County's emergency order treats violations of social distancing as "a problem to solve, much more than a person to punish.

"Pastor Howard-Browne's arrest accomplished the safer-at-home order's goal, which is compliance with the law," Warren explains.

A news release by the chief communications officer for the office of the state attorney says since his arrest, Howard-Browne has social-distanced himself appropriately on his church campus while speaking with leaders about how to move forward with plans for his congregation.

"Our office has determined that further prosecution or punishment would not provide increased protections for our community and is not needed to achieve any additional change in Pastor Howard-Browne's behavior," the release says.

"The State Attorney's Office has recognized that compliance and not criminal punishment is the focus of our emergency health laws," Sheriff Chad Chronister also said in a statement.

Staver says there is an important balance to strike between the importance of safeguarding public health and guarding religious freedom.

"This is a major constitutional issue that we have to balance with a scalpel, not a chainsaw, when it comes to guarding public health and safety," says Staver.

"There's a way to do both without sacrificing either."