Renowned gospel singer and pastor Marvin Sapp is addressing the backlash after a resurfaced clip of him instructing church ushers to “close the doors” during an offering call went viral.
The footage, taken at the 109th Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, in July 2024, shows Sapp asking 1,000 attendees—both in-person and online—to contribute $20 each, aiming to raise $40,000.
“There’s 1000 of you…I said close them doors, “the 58-year-old pastor is heard saying. “Ushers, close the doors. Close the doors, close the doors. We’re all gonna leave together.”
He also encouraged the preachers standing beside him to give him a $100 contribution.
“Giving is worship,” he said.
As the clip gained traction, many social media users accused the Grammy-nominated artist of hustling and manipulating the congregation.
“Marvin Sapp was OUT OF ORDER. I would have immediately dialed 911 as I walked toward the exit. You gone open these doors, or you’re catching a false imprisonment charge,” one user wrote.
“I’m still crying at Marvin Sapp locking them people up in the pews and begging for 40,000 like he didn’t just finish a tour,” another chimed in.
Marvin Sapp is clearly HUSTLING his congregation for 40k— and using God’s name to do it.
he’s calling for the doors to be locked? that’s not faith, that’s a shakedown and a false prophet.
someone had a bill to pay, and it wasn’t to the church. https://t.co/MtBRENSb0t pic.twitter.com/SqLtOwRrSW
— Boochie is the Name (@stoppfeenin) March 26, 2025
Now, in a lengthy Wednesday (March 26) Facebook post, Sapp explained why he instructed the doors to be shut, the biblical intent behind the ask, and how he paid it forward.
“Recently, a clip has gone viral of me challenging 2,000 individuals (virtually and in person) to plant a seed of $20 during an international gathering held at a convention center, with over 4,000 people in attendance that evening plus virtual viewers,” the pastor wrote.
“In that same moment, I also challenged leadership to lead by example by sowing $100. That evening, I personally gave much more.”
Speaking about the moment he instructed the ushers “rather firmly” to close the doors, Sapp said:
“The truth is, when finances are being received in any worship gathering, it is one of the most vulnerable and exposed times for both the finance and security teams.”
“Movement during this sacred exchange can be distracting and, at times, even risky. My directive was not about control it was about creating a safe, focused, and reverent environment for those choosing to give, and for those handling the resources.”
Sapp then called the “snippets” of his sermon that spread online, and pointed out that everyone has a budget, “conferences have budgets, churches have budgets, and people have budgets.”
“As the assigned ministerial gift for this international gathering, one of my responsibilities was to help raise the conference budget,” he said. “That is not manipulation, it’s stewardship.”
Sapp continued with a scripture from 1 Chronicles where David challenged his people to give as they were building a temple, not because God needed their money, “but because the people needed to show their commitment to the vision and because stewardship demands accountability.”
The pastor said it is “not unbiblical” or “manipulation” to ask the congregation to “give a specific amount.”
“The Bible says they gave gold, silver, bronze, iron, and precious stones. Specific amounts were recorded not because God needed their money, but because the people needed to show their commitment to the vision and because stewardship demands accountability,” he said.
“So yes, you saw a moment. But I invite you to understand the movement behind it,” he continued in part. “Honor, clarity and truth are what I owe the people, and I’ll always provide just that.”
Read Sapp’s full response below:
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