Billboard Women in Music 2025
Marvin Sapp‘s $40,000 goal has social media questioning the integrity of his church.
In an undated clip circulating online, the 58-year-old instructed ushers to close the doors of his church, demanding both online and in-person worshippers give $20 to reach the high-dollar total before leaving service.
“Close the doors, we all gon’ leave together. Y’all ain’t going no place but to the restaurant,” he dictated to the congregation. “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.
“I’m challenging each of you all down here to give a $20 seed,” he continued.
“Now, everyone up here, we’ve all sowed and seeded, but I need everyone up here to sow $100 because it costs to sit up here,” shared the Bishop, speaking to members who stood or sat alongside him in the pulpit.
“So, put your $20 away,” he instructed. “That $20 wasn’t for you,” he continued, requesting that the offerings be walked to the front so that he could see the massive effort.
“Giving is worship,” he repeated.
The user who shared one of the most viral posts of the incident to X uploaded the video with the caption “Marvin Sapp is clearly HUSTLING his congregation for 40k— and using God’s name to do it.” He continued to detail, “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.
“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.
Others who shared and responded to the post had a similar reaction.
“‘Shut the doors’, no MF way I’d sit there and be pimped and played. He’s a hustler, not the second coming,” shared one X user.
“never would have paid it,” joked several people in reference to Sapp’s “Never Would Have Made It” song.
“I promise I would’ve called the police and screamed I’m being kidnapped,” explained another X account. Marvin Sapp has not yet issued a response to the viral clip. Take a look at additional commentary below.