“They called the church, cursing me out, death threats here at the church, all of this because of a 30-second clip, a misunderstanding,” Marvin Sapp said.
”They called the church, cursing me out, death threats here at the church, all of this because of a 30-second clip, a misunderstanding,” Marvin Sapp said.
“They called the church, cursing me out, death threats here at the church, all of this because of a 30-second clip, a misunderstanding,” Marvin Sapp said.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Grammy Award-winning gospel artist and Fort Worth pastor Bishop Marvin Sapp is addressing controversy head-on this Easter Sunday by using a viral moment as inspiration for his sermon titled “Close the Doors.”
A short clip from an August 2024 church convention resurfaced online, drawing reactions from the likes of Shannon Sharpe, comedian KevOnStage and media outlets like TMZ. The video shows Bishop Sapp asking to “close the doors” during the offering portion of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW) convention in Baltimore, Maryland.
Many online took his request as a way to lock the congregation in and seemingly force them to give money to the cause. Sapp said that was not the case.
The bishop explained to WFAA that the comment was made in response to noise coming from vendors outside the convention room, which made it difficult for attendees to focus.
“So me telling them to close the doors had more to do with security and the noise that was being made,” Sapp said.
Though the clip is from last summer, the repost led to backlash and even threats to Sapp and his church.
“They called the church, cursing me out, death threats here at the church,” Sapp said. “All of this because of a 30-second clip, a misunderstanding.”
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Rather than retreat from the spotlight, Sapp is using Easter Sunday to deliver a message.
“The Sermon I am preaching is called Close the Doors. If everyone else can take this moment, I might as well take this moment and make it something positive,” he said.
Sapp leads The Chosen Vessel Cathedral on Campus Drive in Fort Worth. Last Easter, the church reached capacity and had to turn away about 500 people. This year, the Easter Sunday service will be held at the University of Texas at Arlington to accommodate a larger crowd.
In addition to his ministry work, Sapp continues community outreach efforts. On April 19, The Chosen Vessel Cathedral is partnering with Exxon Mobile to host a free gas giveaway at 2905 South Cooper St. in Arlington from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., first come, first served. Families with children in the car will also receive free bags of candy.