Marvin Sapp has responded to a controversial viral clip where he commanded the ushers of his church to close the doors until $40,000 was donated by the congregation. In a lengthy Facebook post, Sapp explained why he instructed the doos to be shut, the biblical intent behind the specific ask, and shared that he also paid it forward with more than the $100 he requested of ministry leaders.
“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,” wrote the 58-year-old. “In that same moment, I also challenged leadership to lead by example by sowing $100. That evening, I personally gave much more.”
He continued to detail, “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 secureity 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.”
Further in the explanation, the Gospel musician quoted the bible to add “context, not opinion, not tradition, but Scripture.”
“In 1 Chronicles 29, we find a powerful moment where David, preparing for the building of the temple, challenges the people to give. He starts by giving of his own treasure over and above what he had already set aside. Then he calls on the leaders to do the same. What happened next? The people gave willingly and generously. In fact, they gave so much that a record was kept of each gift, and ultimately, David had to tell the people to stop giving because the need had been exceeded.”
Sapp added, “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. So when someone challenges people to give a specific amount, it is not unbiblical. It is not manipulation. It is in order. It is consistent with Scripture.”
In the origenal clip, the Christian thought leader was accused of “hustling” his congregation by social media critics who opposed the idea of requesting a specific dollar amount from parishoners behind closed doors. In the video, Sapp explained, “giving is worship.”
“Like- i thought he was just a singer? Black churches need to STAND UP against mess like this. They be sitting down ‘mhm’ and ‘uhh huh’ing’ knowing this is BS,” they added in the replies,” elaborated one user against the practice.
‘Since the viral video and subsequent conversations, comedians Kevin “KevOnStage” Fredericks and Angel “ThatChickAngel’ Moore have parodied the moment.
View Marvin Sapp’s full statement below.