Overview

Marvin Sapp Tells Ushers to Close the Church Doors refers to backlash over a viral video of preacher and gospel singer Marvin Sapp asking attendees for $40,000 in donations and instructing his ushers to "close the doors" until the money is raised. The clip was originally taken in July 2024 at the 109th Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Convention, which is not his church. The video didn't go viral until late March 2025, inspiring online memes and discourse, with many believing that Sapp was locking the doors of his church and potentially holding people hostage for donations. Sapp spoke about the incident that month on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show, insisting that the clip was taken out of context, the doors at the convention did not lock, it was not his own congregation he was speaking to and the donations were for the convention, not his ministry. He also claimed that he received death threats over the incident.

Background

On July 23rd, 2024, Marvin Sapp preached during the 109th Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Convention. During his sermon, he started talking about donations and repeatedly asked his ushers to "close the doors." He says there are 1,000 people in the audience and 1,000 watching online and challenges them to donate $20 each, which would result in $40,000 of donations.^[1] The incident was livestreamed on the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World YouTube^[2] channel that day, garnering over 72,000 views in nine months.

On March 26th, 2025, a video of Sapp telling his ushers to close the doors for donations was posted by TikToker^[3] @christianunique72, garnering over 720,000 views in a week. The video incorrectly suggests that Sapp asked the ushers to close the doors at his church, not at a convention.

Developments

Marvin Sapp's Response

On March 31st, 2025, Marvin Sapp appeared on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show on YouTube^[4] to talk about the controversy. The upload received over 58,000 views, 1,600 likes and 1,500 comments in two days.

In the interview, he says that the clip was taken out of context and that many believed he was preaching to his own congregation. He clears up that it was at a convention, that the doors didn't lock and he wasn't trying to hold anyone hostage and that the money being raised went to the convention, not his own church. He admits that he was maybe "more assertive" with his tone than he should have been and apologizes, but he insists the money raised was not given to him and that it was not at his own church. He also claims to have received death threats over the video.

Online Reactions

The video garnered viral spread in March 2025, inspiring reactions and memes on social media, many of which incorrectly assume Sapp was preaching to his church.

On March 26th, 2025, X^[5] user @NOLAConjureLady posted, "Did I just see a video of Marvin Sapp telling the ushers to close the doors and no one could leave until everyone sowed a seed totaling $40,000?" garnering over 3,100 likes in a week.

That day, X^[6] user @stoppfeenin quoted the post, writing, "Marvin Sapp is clearly HUSTLING his congregation for 40k-- and using God’s name to do it […] that’s not faith, that’s a shakedown and a false prophet," garnering over 26,000 likes in a week.

On March 27th, rumors that Sapp was arrested over the incident started to spread online, although these were false.^[7]

The video inspired numerous viral memes on TikTok, including skits in which users imagine themselves at the scene of the incident.

On March 29th, 2025, TikToker^[8] @kay_moneyyyyy posted a skit of himself running out of the room when Sapp tells his ushers to close the doors, garnering over 1.4 million views in four days.

On March 31st, TIkToker^[9] @0ffline_userr posted a meme in which she realizes she shouldn't have attended the event after Sapp tells the ushers to close the doors, garnering over 2.3 million views in two days.

Search Interest

External References