Throughout the sacred halls of Gospel Music, Marvin Sapp‘s oil painting will be prominent and uplit to ensure people pay attention to it while walking by. Spanning a 30-year music career, Sapp has received 24 Stellar Awards, 2 Soul Train Music Awards, 2 BET Awards, 3 Dove Awards and 8 BMI Songwriter’s Awards. But those were the 1980s and 1990s.
Since then, Marvin Sapp moved to Fort Worth, Texas, to open up The Chosen Vessel Cathedral in September 2019. His life has been about the ministry. His heart has been reaching the lost and blessing the saints. But his actions lately may have cratered all that other work into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch floating in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It was just that nasty.
What’s even worse is this kind of reckless, autocratic behavior, only applauded by “yes men,” has more lasting effects than what happened to the targeted victims. Some people may never know about Marvin Sapp’s Gospel career. However, they could have seen this moment, and that’s the lasting impression of him—and Jesus—they will ever have.
What was it? How bad was it? It involved a pulpit, money, and holding people hostage. Yes, this happened.
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Marvin Sapp: Errybody’s Hustlin’
The viral video is from a July 2024 conference featuring the 58-year-old pastor and Grammy-nominated artist Marvin Sapp. It was the 109th Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Convention in Baltimore, Maryland. No one is certain why this video is experiencing its second life, but one thing is for sure: Sapp wishes it wasn’t.
It was another inspired message—solid worship, good exhortation, insightful message—and then after three hours and thirty minutes (3:30:30, to be specific), the Holy Spirit left the building. Riddled in sweat after a divine time in ministry, Marvin Sapp glistened under the lights (and under the hot sparkles of that loaded Rolex watch) and felt another unction to get something happening.
He shares a story of having to renew his minister’s license and ordination for $2,000. A couple of minutes later, he mentioned another expense of $800, paid in “pocket money.”
In 12 hours, Marvin Sapp spent what many people don’t make in a month. No problem. His career has been blessed, and the man has some acclaim, so he offers an insightful note.
“How am I going to preach up here and not lead by example,” he said. “Leadership leads, and they understand the cost.“
As he moves into an offering, all the big-ballers on stage pull out their wallets. Sapp tells everyone on stage that this is an exercise of faith.
“Now, everyone up here, we’ve all sowed and seeded, but I need everyone up here to sow $100 because it costs to sit up here,” shared the Bishop, speaking to members who stood or sat alongside him in the pulpit.
It’s no secret that most of the people sitting in the congregation are working a lower—to middle-class existence. We all have our lot in life, and God blesses everyone. Yet, there’s a way to be. And this wasn’t it. He demanded the ushers close the doors. He repeated this command four or five times because a few of those ushers may have known local fire or penal codes.
“Close the doors, we all gon’ leave together. Y’all ain’t going no place but to the restaurant,” he dictated to the congregation. “There’s 1,000 of you tonight, and those that are watching…it’s 1,000 that’s watching online. This is a small seed. If I get 1,000 online to give this, if I get 1,000 in the sanctuary to give this, that’s $40,000 tonight.”
That is either divinely led or the second-degree felony known as “aggravated kidnapping” or the taking of a hostage. Care to object, Pastor?
Now Marvin Sapp is Counting the Costs
Although this happened over a year ago, Marvin Sapp addresses his shameful actions in a video on Facebook. Kind of.
“Unfortunately, in this social media age, snippets are easily shared without context, and assumptions are quickly made without understanding the full picture,” Sapp points out. Despite the entire video being available online (and below), he believes the closing of the doors was taken out of context. To help drive that “disinformation” away, he shares a scripture about the old King David from 1 Chronicles 29:1-9.
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. What happened next? 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.
The pastor is right. That is what happened in the temple when David was giving an offering to his son, the new King Solomon. “Leaders of families, officers of the tribes of Israel, commanders of thousands, and officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly” (verse 6). But, uh, there was no duress, coercion, or force. They gave willingly. It doesn’t matter what they gave. Sapp fell back because he only asked for $20 from 1,000 people online and in the church.
If only he stopped there.
“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.”
Ever been in a church that announces, “Well, it’s offering time in the sanctuary. Amen? Hey, ushers, can y’all deadbolt the doors back there?”
Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text: My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves. (Matthew 21:12-14 MSG)
MEMO to Marvin Sapp: The deadbolts wouldn’t have helped. The problem is that some of the actual thieves made it to church these days before that announcement of the offering ever takes place.
(Fast forward to 3:30:30 if you want. The service is actually good.)
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