When it comes to giving, the Bible says, “God loves a cheerful giver.” However, one Detroit pastor is under fire after publicly scolding a church member who tried to donate $1,200 instead of the $2,000 he requested during a fundraising event.

Bishop Marvin Winans, founder and pastor of Perfecting Church in Detroit, sparked outrage after a video surfaced showing him interrupting a worshipper, Roberta McCoy, during the congregation’s “Day of Giving” on Oct. 19.

“I, Roberta McCoy, give in faith, and stand in unity with the vision of Perfecting Church by sowing this seed of $1,000, plus $235 in receiving the blessings to come to all that participate,” McCoy said as she presented her offering.

But Winans cut in, pointing out that her gift fell short of the $2,000 goal.

“Now that is only $1,200,” Winans said from the pulpit. “Y’all not listening to what I’m saying. If you have a thousand plus a thousand…”

When McCoy replied that she would “work on getting” the remaining $800, Winans responded bluntly, “That ain’t what I asked you to do.”

The exchange, captured on the church’s livestream, quickly went viral—garnering millions of views and sparking heated debate online. Many viewers criticized Winans’ tone, accusing him of embarrassing a faithful church member for giving what she could.

Others pointed to Jesus’ praise of the poor widow who gave two small coins in Mark 12:43–44, saying God values the heart of the giver, not the size of the gift.

Following the backlash, Winans defended himself in an interview with ABC7 Detroit, saying his remarks were taken out of context.

“I was calling because the whole church was giving, and it was our day of giving,” he explained. “We didn’t want people standing, so I was calling them by increments. We had someone who had given out of order, and I corrected it… That’s all that was.”

McCoy herself also spoke up—this time defending her pastor. “He absolutely did not rebuke me,” she said. “There was a correction because the Pastor gave instructions on the lines to get into.”

McCoy revealed that Winans personally apologized after the service and that she’s been a member of Perfecting Church since 2013. Unfortunately, she says she’s faced online threats since the clip went viral.

“I wanted to clear Pastor’s name,” she said, affirming she will continue to support the church.

Perfecting Church’s ongoing fundraiser is part of a $23 million project to build its long-awaited 3,200-seat cathedral—a dream Winans launched two decades ago. Construction stalled after the 2008 recession and only resumed in 2024 after legal disputes with the city of Detroit.

Now back on track, the church plans to open the new building by June 2026.

“We’ve been working,” Winans said. “It has been a continual grind… but we’re getting there.”

As for the viral moment, many Christians online are using it as a reminder that giving should be guided by gratitude and conviction—not pressure. As scripture teaches, “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion” (2 Corinthians 9:7).