WS Chronicle

Renowned gospel singer and pastor Marvin Sapp has sparked discussion within the Christian community as viral video shows him calling for ushers to close their doors during offering time. Sapp, known for his chart-topping gospel hits and pastoral leadership, expressed his concerns about how misinformation has fueled the outrage of this incident. 

“This service happened August of last year and it didn’t happen at my local church,” Sapp said in an interview on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show Monday, March 31. “It happened at a national organization’s international meeting where churches from all over country came together to celebrate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 

In the video, Sapp can be seen telling the 1,000 conference attendees in the building and the additional online attendees to give $20 each. He proceeds to say by doing so, they could raise $40,000.   

“I need people to understand, the $40K, if it was raised, never went to me. That money was for the purpose of taking care of the budget for their conference, not Marvin Sapp.”  

Sapp said the video has caused problems with his church and family. 

“People have called my church and cussed me out. My staff is afraid because I’ve received death threats over $20 and ‘shut the door,’” he said in an interview on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. “People have taken clickbait and made something out of it that it isn’t. So now we’ve had to update and increase security. All of this because of a misunderstanding.” 

Sapp’s suggestion to close the doors during offering is not about restricting movement but about encouraging a deeper sense of focus and respect. He believes that congregants view the offering as an essential act of worship – just like prayer or the sermon. “The first thing they teach you about being an usher is there are three times you don’t walk [during service]. You don’t walk during altar call, prayer or offering. One of the reasons being the sacredness of the moment,” he said.  

Some of the outrage online implies that people have taken issue with Sapp’s tone in the video. “I can honestly say looking back at the video, I was more assertive than I should’ve been. I can apologize for that,” he said.   

Many pastors and church leaders have responded to Sapp’s comments with mixed reactions. Some agree that closing the doors could help reinforce the sacredness of the moment, while others believe that churches should focus more on educating members about the significance of giving rather than enforcing physical restrictions. 

Scripturally, offerings have always been an integral part of worship. In Malachi 3:10, God challenges His people to “bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,” emphasizing the spiritual discipline of giving. In the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 9:7 reminds believers that “God loves a cheerful giver.”  

Churchgoers and leaders have taken to social media to share their thoughts on Sapp’s statement. Some support the idea, expressing frustration over how easily people treat the offering as an intermission rather than an act of worship. Others argue that closing doors could feel restrictive, particularly for visitors or those with personal reasons for needing to step out. 

“This is a church-hurting situation. I did something for the church but I’m taking abuse because of it.”