Bishop Marvin Sapp says he has received death threats as a result of the resurfaced viral clip where he ordered ushers to close the doors at an international church convention while rallying for the congregation to donate $40,000.
During an interview on “The Rickey Smiley Morning Show” on Monday, the Grammy-nominated gospel artist called the situation a “misunderstanding,” but said he was “little more assertive than I should have been” while raising funds for the convention. He added that the reaction to the video has led to safety concerns.
“People have called my church and cussed me out. My staff are afraid because I’ve received death threats,” he said. “People have come to our campus. They have come to my church to try to cause problems, issues, (and) challenges.”
Sapp serves as the Senior Pastor of The Chosen Vessel Church, which is based in Fort Worth, Texas. He explained that the threats have been a burden on his children.
“I’m their only parent. I’m a widower. They’re afraid for my safety, so now we have to update and increase security,” he continued.
Previously: Gospel star Marvin Sapp responds to criticism over donation request, order to close doors
‘Close the doors’: A resurfaced clip from 2024 sparked social media discourse
The controversy stems from a viral video in which Sapp speaks in front of the congregation at the 109th Pentecostal Assemblies for the World Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, last July.
In the video, Sapp called on churchgoers in the building − and those watching online − to help raise $40,000 by giving $20 each.
“Ushers close the doors,” the “Praise Him In Advance” singer said repeatedly. “There’s 1,000 of you tonight, and … it’s 1,000 watching online. This is a small seed.”
Additionally, he asked preachers standing beside him to give a $100 contribution: “Giving is worship,” he said.
It sparked plenty of interest online, with memes, parodies, and criticism abounding on social media. Some people argued that he held the congregation hostage.
In a statement on his Facebook page last Wednesday, Sapp provided additional context behind his request for money. He said that as a minister, fundraising was part of his job at the international convention, calling it “stewardship” rather than “manipulation.”
“Some have taken issue with a particular moment when I instructed the ushers, rather firmly, to close the doors during the offering,” Sapp wrote. “To those unfamiliar with the church context or who may not regularly attend worship gatherings this has been misinterpreted as holding people hostage as well as offensive. That was never my intent.”
On “The Rickey Smiley Show,” Sapp shared his perspective on the now-viral request he made to ushers.
“I never said lock the doors. I said shut the doors,” Sapp emphasized. “Shutting doors mean that people still have the ability to go in and out. They’ve taken issue with my tone and I can honestly say looking at the video maybe I was a little more assertive than I should have been. I can apologize for that. “
Sapp said he didn’t receive ‘a dime’ of the money raised
Sapp doubled down on his stance that the whole dilemma was a “misunderstanding” and clarified that although it is unclear how much money was raised for the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc., he didn’t receive any of it: “Not a dime of that money came to me,” he said.
Sapp added, “This organization is a church organization I grew up in. These people gave me a platform, and the reason I’m known today is because of the opportunities that this organization gave me.”
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, Inc. issued a statement Saturday apologizing “to those who may have been offended by the manner of receiving donations.”
“It is never our intent for our proceedings to be an offense or hinderance for anyone,” the statement reads. “Fundraising is a critical component to the success of our non-profit organization, and the funds raised are utilized to support not just this event, but our extensive international missions work, auxiliary programming, educational endeavors and more.”
The “Best In Me” singer called the ongoing discourse a “church hurting situation” and urged people to do more research.
“I did something for the church, but I’m taking abuse because of it,” Sapp continued. “I just want people to understand that this is something that we shouldn’t do. Make sure you do your due diligence. Make sure you check out everything first. Make sure that you examine the information with clarity and context before you begin to share it.”
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected].
