Marvin Sapp is once again speaking out about the controversy surrounding a viral video in which he demanded that a church’s doors be closed while he solicited a $40,000 donation.
While some critics have voiced their concerns solely on social media, Sapp revealed that others have escalated the situation to the point of making threats against his life.
On Monday, Sapp appeared as a guest on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show to clarify key details about the incident that he’s adamant has been blown out of proportion. As previously reported, a viral video showed him at the 109th Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Convention in Baltimore in July 2024 asking that 1,000 in-person attendees and 1,000 online viewers each donate $20 to reach a $40,000 goal. He also vehemently demanded that the church ushers close the doors.
However, Sapp explained that his words were taken out of context and that he never intended for the doors to be locked, only “shut.”
“Shutting doors means people still have the ability to go in and out,” Sapp told Rickey Smiley. “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’ve been, and I can apologize for that.”
Additionally, he explained that the funds collected were used for the church’s conference budget, with none of it going into his personal accounts, while pushing back against accusations that he was personally benefiting from church donations.
“I’m not walking around here trying to be a pimp,” said Sapp. “I’m not trying to take advantage of people. That’s never been my passion. I’m serious about ministry.”
Beyond the online criticism, Sapp revealed that the backlash has escalated into real-world harassment, including threats against his life and disturbances at his church.
“People have taken clickbait and made something out of it that it isn’t, and because of that, my church has been getting phone calls,” Sapp said on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show. “People have called my church and cussed me out. My staff are afraid because I’ve received death threats over $20 and shut the door. People have come to our campus, they have come to my church to try to cause problems, issues, challenges.”
Sapp added that while he’s avoiding social media comments, his adult children—Marvin II, MiKaila, and Madisson—have seen the reactions firsthand.
“They are afraid, and the reason being, I am their only parent,” said Sapp. “I’m a widower. They’re afraid for my safety. So now we’ve had to update and increase security and all the things I’ve never had to do before because of the vitriol and the anger that people have shown,” he explained. “And all of this is because of a misunderstanding.”
Despite the drama, Sapp told Rickey Smiley that he’s focused on his ministry.
Check out Marvin Sapp on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show below!
