Preacher Marvin Sapp Under Fire For Seemingly Holding Congregation Hostage Until They Donated $40,000

Gospel singer and preacher Marvin Sapp is facing severe criticism online after a video of him seemingly pressuring his congregation into donating $40,000 went viral.

In the video, Marvin Sapp, known for his popular singles "Never Would Have Made It" and "The Best In Me," instructs ushers to "close the doors" until he sees all 1,000 churchgoers drop a "seed" of $20. He's also under fire for demanding that online visitors prove they donated virtually.

In a viral video, Sapp, per TMZ, was wrapping up his sermon at the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World annual summer convention in July 2024 when he began asking the congregation to donate a collective $40,000. He's facing criticism, though, because of how he went about it.

"Ushers, close the doors. Close the doors. Close the doors," he said aggressively. "We all gone leave together. Y'all ain't going no place but the restaurant," he continued. "This is a small seed... This is easy, saints."

Later, Sapp told the church leaders on the stage he wanted them to give $100, while he wanted the crowd to each give $20. But he didn't stop there. He challenged the online watchers to give money, too.

"There’s 1,000 of you tonight, and those that are watching…it’s 1,000 that’s watching online. This is a small seed. If I get 1,000 online to give this, if I get 1,000 in the sanctuary to give this, that’s $40,000 tonight," he declared.

"I need to see a thousand people moving," he went on. "I want to see the folk, y'all start moving."

As soft music began playing in the background, Sapp instructed the crowd to be quiet, saying, "Giving is worship."

"This ain't a time to talk," he continued. "This is an easy miracle."

Online, users began reacting to the video of Sapp using questionable tactics to get his congregation to donate money.

"Marvin Sapp is clearly HUSTLING his congregation for $40K," one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "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 the church."

A second user agreed and said 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," they wrote.

"Marvin Sapp never would've made it f-cking around with me," a third user said boldly. "Open these doors right the f-ck now."

Several other users shared similar sentiments, with one saying Sapp would've "saw the worst in me."

Another online user shared a lengthy post and said Sapp's behavior during his sermon is "exactly why people stay away from the church."

"People tithe for years but struggle [and] can't even look to the church community for help," they wrote. "The Bible thumpers gone try to eat me up, but [I don't give a f-ck] [because] I said what I said."

"Marvin Sapp is basically holding people hostage in church over money and trying to mask the greed with worship is so weird," someone else commented.

Sapp opened up about the pushback he's received on his official Facebook page and said his intention was never to make people feel as though they were being held hostage. According to him, he was creating a safe space for money to be exchanged.

"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," he wrote.

Sapp explained that he was in charge of raising the conference's budget during the 2024 event, and he was taking his duties seriously.

"As the assigned ministerial gift for this international gathering, one of my responsibilities was to help raise the conference budget. That’s not manipulation; it’s stewardship," he continued. 

The gospel singer defended his behavior in the viral video by citing Bible scripture, specifically 1 Chronicles 29 and Mark 7:13. According to him, challenging God's people to give money "shows their commitment" to the church's vision.

"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," he posted.