WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Marvin Sapp Closes Church Doors Until $40K Is Raised — and the Internet Is Like, “Pastor, Please!” Listen… the offering plate has been passed in many creative ways over the years, but Pastor Marvin Sapp may have just taken things to a whole new level — and not in the heavenly sense. A viral video from a recent church service shows the gospel legend and mega-church pastor asking — no, demanding — his congregation raise $40,000 on the spot. And when he wasn’t seeing the coins add up quick enough? He allegedly told the ushers to shut the church doors. Yes. As in “Nobody’s leaving until the spirit — and the swipes — move.” Whew. Sapp, known for hits like “Never Would Have Made It,” stood at the pulpit, making what he called a “challenge” to his congregation. With around 1,000 people in the building and another 1,000 watching online, he said if everyone just gave $20, they could easily raise the $40K goal. Sounds simple enough, right? But then he turned it up a notch. “For those sitting up close,” he added, “I’m asking you to sow a $100 seed.” So now, not only is it giving fundraising strategy — it’s giving VIP ticket pricing based on pew proximity. And while Sapp insisted that $20 was “not a lot” — even throwing in a nostalgic note about how he used to take his late wife on $20 dates — many online weren’t having it. Because let’s be real: the optics of locking church doors while asking for money? It’s giving spiritual shake-down. And social media is not here for it. Critics flooded platforms, calling the move manipulative, exploitative, and tone-deaf — especially in the middle of a financial climate where folks are already struggling to cover rent, groceries, and the actual cost of tithing. To be fair, Marvin Sapp wasn’t asking for $40K each (thank God), and some folks have defended him, saying he was simply being passionate and transparent about church needs. Churches, after all, do have expenses — lights, staff, community programs — and that money has to come from somewhere. But the real issue isn’t fundraising — it’s how it’s being done. Closing the doors of a church — literally — until people give more? That’s a slippery slope. Worship should never feel like a hostage situation. Faith should be free, even if the building isn’t. Marvin Sapp has yet to publicly respond to the backlash, but the video has reignited a larger convo about prosperity gospel, church accountability, and what it really means to “give from the heart.” Because at the end of the day, nobody should have to pray with their wallets open and the doors locked.
Pastor Marvin Sapp Locks Church Doors … Until Members Pay $40K!
