Marvin Sapp - Gifted or Grifter?

Marvin Sapp

Stick em up…

When a short video of gospel great Marvin Sapp began making the rounds online, folks had plenty to say.

The clip showed Sapp speaking to a crowd of 2,000 people, urging them to donate $20 each to reach a $40,000 goal—and telling ushers to close the doors so no one could leave the sanctuary. The internet lit up with criticism, concern, and confusion. But now, Marvin Sapp has stepped forward to give the full story—and it’s not quite what it seemed. If you’ve spent time in church, you know that pastors asking for an extra offering isn’t exactly breaking news. From building funds to emergency aid to conference costs, these “asks” are part of the rhythm of many church services.

But this moment felt different to viewers, especially those outside of the faith or unfamiliar with church culture. The viral nature of the clip—void of context—left many wondering: Was Marvin Sapp wrong for how he handled it? Recently, a clip has gone viral of me challenging 2,000 individuals (virtually and in person) to plant a seed of $20 during an international gathering held at a convention center, with over 4,000 people in attendance that evening, plus virtual viewers.

In that same moment, I also challenged leadership to lead by example by sowing $100. That evening, I personally gave much more.

He acknowledged that his firm directive to “close the doors” rubbed people the wrong way, but explained there was a practical and spiritual reason behind it: Some have taken issue with a particular moment when I instructed the ushers, rather firmly, to close the doors during the offering.

To those unfamiliar with the church context…this has been misinterpreted as holding people hostage. That was never my intent.

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 also emphasized that context is everything—especially in today’s social media age where clips go viral, but context doesn’t:

Unfortunately, in this social media age, snippets are easily shared without context, and assumptions are quickly made without understanding the full picture. Conferences have budgets. Churches have budgets. And people have budgets.

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.

📖 Marvin Sapp: ‘This Is Not Manipulation. It’s Biblical.’

Marvin Sapp didn’t just defend his actions—he backed them up with scripture, not just personal opinion.

He referenced 1 Chronicles 29, where King David encouraged the people to give toward building the temple:

In 1 Chronicles 29, we find a powerful moment where David, preparing for the building of the temple, challenges the people to give.

He starts by giving of his own treasure over and above what he had already set aside. Then he calls on the leaders to do the same.

The people gave willingly and generously.

In fact, they gave so much that a record was kept of each gift, and ultimately, David had to tell the people to stop giving because the need had been exceeded.