He went from prophet to profit.
A preacher and gospel singer who once performed at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ birthday bash is under fire for appearing to hold a congregation in Maryland “hostage” until they donated $40,000, according to reports Friday.
Marvin Sapp is shown in video footage from July demanding that ushers at the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Convention in Baltimore “close the doors” while his flock pays up.
“There’s 1,000 of you. I said close them doors. Ushers, close the doors,” Sapp says in the now-viral video, which resurfaced Thursday.
“Leadership lead and they understand the cost that is involved,” he says in the footage, posted by FOX 26 Houston. “I’m challenging each of you all down here to give a $20 seed.”
It’s unclear how much Sapp raked in — but the video shows people coming forward with $100 bills.
Critics slammed Sapp — who in 2019 performed at disgraced music producer Sean Diddy Combs’ 50th birthday party — for using heavy-handed pressure tactics to rake in dough.
“Marvin Sapp is clearly HUSTLING his congregation for 40k— and using God’s name to do it,” one observer wrote on X.
“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.”
Did I just see a video of Marvin Sapp telling the ushers to close the doors and no one could leave until everyone sowed a seed totaling $40,000?
What is happening?!?!
— Mama Conjure (@NOLAConjureLady) March 26, 2025
Others said he crossed a line by appearing to prevent parishioners from leaving.
“Marvin Sapp ain’t never been wrapped too tight, so I’m not surprised that he held that congregation hostage until they gave $40K,” one commenter wrote on X.
In December 2019, the celebrity preacher sang Diddy’s “favorite” spiritual song, “Never Would Have Made It,” at the Beverly Hills birthday pool party, sources told Page Six at the time.
Sapp says he asked that the church doors be closed to create a secure environment while cash changed hands. facebook/officialmarvinsapp
On Thursday, Sapp responded to criticism in a Facebook message — claiming that he’d asked ushers to close the doors to create secure environment for exchanging cash.
“Some have taken issue with a particular moment when I instructed the ushers, rather firmly, to close the doors during the offering,” Sapp wrote in the post Thursday.
“This has been misinterpreted as holding people hostage as well as offensive. That was never my intent,” he wrote.
“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.”
Sapp is a favorite singer among athletes like New York Jets’ DJ Reed and Mets Hall of Famer Dwight Gooden, who credited one of the preacher’s songs with helping him get him through addiction and depression.
