BALTIMORE, Maryland — Gospel singer iyo Bishop Marvin Sapp don catch fire as video show him dey use unorthodox way ask church members for donations during 2024 PAW Convention.
Di video wey dey go viral show Marvin directing ushers to close di doors, saying, ‘Ushers, close di doors. We all gone leave together. Y’all ain’t going no place but di restaurant.’ Dis statement don raise eyebrows as many people feel say e dey hold people hostage for di offering.
Sapp was inside di convention with about 1,000 worshippers live, plus another 1,000 wey dey watch online. E ask each person to donate $20 in order to raise $40,000 for di church. ‘Dis one na easy seed, saints,’ he talk as he dey encourage di audience.
To make di point relatable, Sapp reminisce about di days wey he dey take his late wife MaLinda for movie date, saying $20 fit cover ticket and snack. ‘I wasn’t cheap, that’s swag,’ he joke, as di crowd laugh.
He no stop there; e also tell pastors wey dey behind am to donate $100 each, saying ‘it costs to stand up here.’ Di excitement turned serious as he beckon on di audience to come to di altar to show their donations, whether na cash or electronic payment.
‘I need to see a thousand people moving,’ e insist, hunched over di lectern, while dia organ music play softly in di background. Sapp take out a money clip and show dem he dey ready to donate as well. ‘Giving is worship,’ he declare, repeating di line several times.
But di backlash no take long to come. Social media users express their disappointment, calling his method a ‘shakedown’ and questioning di integrity of di church. Many critics don suggest say na greed make ministers dey operate like dis, with one commenter saying, ‘Dis has nothing to do with Jesus, that’s simply greed.’
Sapp later respond to di backlash for Facebook, saying, ‘My directive was not about control it was about creating a safe, focused, and reverent environment for those choosing to give.’ E explain say he close di doors for security reasons during di financial contributions, insisting say dat na moment of vulnerability.
Reactions dey mixed as some people defend di bishop, saying giving should be a voluntary act. ‘Dis na normal, nothing to see here,’ one user say. But critics dey slam di donation tactics, using phrases like ‘panhandling’ and calling for him to be more transparent in di church’s financial matters.
Marvin Sapp’s response bring more questions than answers, as di debate continues over di appropriateness of his methods for fundraising in di church environment.
