A resurfaced clip of gospel legend Marvin Sapp calling for a $40,000 offering—and instructing ushers to shut the doors until it was raised— stirred up debate online this week. Now, the pastor is responding to the backlash with what he calls much-needed context.

In a Facebook post titled “Let’s Add Context to the Clip on Social Media,” the “Never Would Have Made It” singer explained that the moment captured in the viral video occurred during an international conference held at a convention center. Over 4,000 people were in attendance, with thousands more watching virtually. During the service, he challenged 2,000 individuals to give $20 and asked leaders to sow $100, stating that he personally gave even more. 

However, some people felt that Sapp’s instruction to ushers to close the doors during the offering seemed coercive or manipulative. The musician insisted that wasn’t his intention and that the directive was about maintaining safety and reverence—not control.

“To those unfamiliar with the church context… this has been misinterpreted as holding people hostage,” he wrote. “That was never my intent.”

He explained that financial giving is one of the most sensitive and security-conscious moments in worship services, where distractions or movement can cause issues for both givers and finance teams. His directive, he said, was about creating a “safe, focused, and reverent environment.”

Sapp emphasized that conferences, like churches, operate with budgets—and that his role included helping to meet those financial goals. 

“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,” he wrote. “Movement during this sacred exchange can be distracting and, at times, even risky.”

Sapp also pointed out how easily social media can distort a moment without the full picture. “That’s not manipulation, it’s stewardship,” he emphasized, adding that his role at the conference included helping meet the event’s budget.

Backing his statement with scripture, Sapp cited 1 Chronicles 29, where King David calls on leaders and the people to give generously for the building of the temple. Sapp argued that inviting congregants to give specific amounts is both biblical and appropriate, even if it rubs against modern skepticism.

“Yes, you saw a moment,” he said, “but I invite you to understand the movement behind it.”

Sapp’s post ended with a simple request: that people share the full context with the same energy used to circulate the clip.