Marvin Sapp breaks his silence after the “shut-in” video clip has gone viral.
The “Never Would’ve Made It” singer received backlash after he ordered the church ushers to close the doors while requesting the congregation to sow a seed of $20. “I said, close them doors,” Sapp said repeatedly. “We all going to leave together, y’all ain’t going no place but to the restaurant.”
“There’s 1,000 of you tonight, and it’s 1,000 watching online. This is a small seed,” he added. “I’m challenging you all down here to give a $20 seed.”
Since then, Marvin Sapp posted a lengthy statement on his Facebook page where he addressed the backlash and memes that have been made on social media.
“Some have taken issue with a particular moment when I instructed the ushers, rather firmly, to close the doors during the offering,” Sapp wrote, adding he encouraged leadership to donate $100 before personally contributing “much more.”
He continued, “To those unfamiliar with the church context or who may not regularly attend worship gatherings this has been misinterpreted as holding people hostage as well as offensive. That was never my intent. “The truth is, when finances are being received in any worship gathering, it is one of the most vulnerable and exposed times for both the finance and security teams. 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.”
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