Rodney Howard-Browne
8 min read
Rodney Howard-Browne is an American evangelist and conspiracy theorist. He is pastor of The River Church in Tampa Bay.
Rodney Howard-Browne calls himself the "Holy Ghost Bartender". He believes that he has the power to get people "drunk on the Holy Spirit." He is known for his "laughing revivals", where he makes people fall down and laugh uncontrollably for hours.
Rodney Howard-Browne can often be seen walking the aisles while preaching, pointing to people and urging them to drink of the Holy Spirit, leaving them convulsing in laughter. To see an example of this, take a look at this YouTube video titled Unholy Laughter.
A fake healer
Rodney Howard-Browne claimed that he would cure Florida of Coronavirus. That never happened. In 2019, he claimed that he had cleansed Florida of Zika virus. That also never happened.
A violent leader
In November 2017, Howard-Browne had a large warning sign put up outside of his church building. The sign said:
Not only are there armed guards in attendance at his church services, but parishioners also carry concealed weapons and are ready to use them.
A medical "expert"
When the coronavirus pandemic emerged, Rodney Howard-Browne suggested the outbreak was planned at an event hosted by Bill and Melinda Gates to complete a socialist takeover of the U.S. government and kill off people who take the vaccines.Howard-Browne called the virus a "phantom plague." He has downplayed the threat of the pandemic from the beginning.
Rodney Howard-Browne declared that the enemies of the church were using the coronavirus as a weapon to shut them down. Howard-Browne refused to stop holding church services during the pandemic. As a result, deputies showed up at Howard-Browne’s Hernando County mansion and arrested him for holding services against the law.
At the height of the pandemic, Rodney Howard-Browne was heard from the pulpit saying things like, "Your life’s not going to be cut off early." and "You’re not going to be taken out by some stupid bug. Are you with me?"
Is Rodney Howard-Browne God? How does he know who will live or die, and what they will die from?
Rodney Howard-Browne kept his church open until his arrest in order to keep the donations rolling in. Don’t tell us that a preacher with a mansion does not care about money. Jesus had nowhere to lay his head (Luke 9:58) but somehow Howard-Browne feels perfectly fine owning a mansion. What Bible has he been reading?
A conspiracy theorist
Rodney Howard-Browne mixes Scripture with conspiracy theories. He also throws in his own predictions and false prophecies. Howard-Browne uses unfounded anecdotes and misapplies Bible passages to deceive his followers.
He calls climate change "garbage" and believes that Donald Trump is the saviour and protector of our times, appointed to delay the arrival of the New World Order and the Antichrist.
Fellow conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has had Howard-Browne on his InfoWars show many times. Alex Jones calls him one of his favorite pastors.
A false teacher
Rodney Howard-Browne's teachings deny the sovereignty of God, make a mockery of the Holy Spirit, and disregard the importance of Jesus Christ.
Rodney Howard-Browne adheres to the false "Word of Faith" movement’s teachings. This movement teaches that faith is a force that we can manipulate to have whatever we want, such as health, wealth, and success. He also adheres to "Prosperity Gospel" teachings that emphasize health and wealth above truly obeying and following Jesus.
Rodney Howard-Browne thinks he can order God around. In Julia Duin's piece, called "Praise the Lord and pass the New Wine", she describes Rodney's "spiritual crisis" in 1979. Rodney prayed, "Either You come down here or I will come up there and touch you." He then described that his whole body felt like it was on fire and he began to laugh uncontrollably. He said, "I was plugged into heaven’s electric supply, and since then my desire has been to go and plug other people in."
Julia Duin writes, "Howard-Browne disparages those who try to apply a theological test to his methods." Rodney Howard-Browne said, "You can't understand what God is doing in these meetings with an analytical mind. The only way you're going to understand what God is doing is with your heart"
If Rodney has read his Bible, he should know that the "heard is deceitful above all things" (Jeremiah 17:9). He should not be pointing people to their hearts, but to the Bible. Our experiences are always subjective. The only objective truth that we can rely on is the Bible.
A bartender
Rodney Howard-Browne thinks his ministry as that of a "bartender" who acts as a "spiritual conduit" in which the presence of the Holy Spirit is defined in terms of a high-voltage power current.
Using such irreverent language is contrary to the way the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit working through someone. The Bible teaches that one of the fruits of the real Holy Spirit’s presence is self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). There is no self-control on display in any part of Howard-Browne’s ministry.
In the six page description of Rodney Howard-Browne’s ministry, there is only one reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is when "He committed his life to Christ at age 5". In contrast, there are eleven references to the "Holy Spirit", and many mentions of "revival" and "healing." It's just not enough mention of Jesus for someone who claims to be an evangelist (one who proclaims the good news of Jesus).
Rodney Howard-Browne references the Holy Spirit a lot but he has no idea what he is referring to. The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to "glorify Christ" and make him known (John 16:14, Acts 1:8). However, Rodney Howard-Browne is more concerned with things like revival, laughter, healing, and getting rich.
A partner with demons
Not only is Howard-Browne a false teacher, he partners with demons.
A psychological manipulator
Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute in Charlotte, N.C., a nonprofit countercult ministry, says that Howard-Browne uses "visionary hoaxes" and psychological manipulation to control followers. Hanegraaff featured Howard-Browne in his 1997 book, Counterfeit Revival: Looking for God in All the Wrong Places.
An angry man to those who call him out
At one conference, Rodney Howard-Browne is said to have walked off the platform to where Hank Hanegraaff was sitting and told him he would drop dead if he tried to stop what God was doing through him.
A swindler
Rodney Howard-Browne's church is not a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, an association that provides accreditation to churches that publicly disclose financial audits.
In 2004, Howard-Browne paid $1.8 million for a five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in Webster, west of the Hernando-Sumter line.
Pete Evans, an investigator for Trinity Foundation, a nonprofit church watchdog organization, said "Religion has clearly been profitable for Howard-Browne and his family."
The pulpit isn't the only platform Howard-Browne uses to bring in millions of dollars. Howard-Browne also runs The River School of Government. It’s a nine-month "government and biblical leadership course." It offers classes with titles such as "Strategies To Take America Back" and "The New World Order." Tuition is $7,900.
Rodney Howard-Browne can be seen driving his Lamborghini around. When he was stopped and asked what he did for a living, he responded that he's a preacher and a billionaire, funding the end-time harvest. What hypocrisy. Is it just me or does this man look nothing like Jesus?
More resources
Deception In The Church: Rodney Howard-Browne
The Problem With False Teachers: Rodney Howard-Browne
Preaching Conspiracies: Rodney Howard-Browne
Rodney Howard-Browne: A critical examination of his theology and practice