A Detroit pastor is facing scrutiny after he rebuked a parishioner for only donating $1,235 to some building fundraiser instead of $2,000, but he and the parishioner both say it’s all a big misunderstanding.
Video footage of the altercation at Perfecting Church showed a parishioner approaching Bishop Marvin Winans to give him her donation.
“I, Roberta McCoy, give in faith and stand in unity with the vision of Perfecting Church, sowing this seed of $1,000 plus $235 and receiving the blessings to come to all that participated,” the woman said.
But Bishop Winans wasn’t trying to hear it:
Bishop Marvin Winans goes viral after criticizing a woman and her son in front of the entire church for donating $1,200 instead of $2,000 during a fundraiser
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) October 20, 2025
“Now, that’s only $1,200,” he complained.
“Yes,” McCoy replied.
“Ya’ll not listening to what I’m saying,” the pastor responded. If you have a thousand plus a thousand.”
“OK, I’m gonna work on the other $800,” McCoy said.
“Well, that ain’t what I asked you to do,” the pastor barked back.
This clip has since gone viral, attracting massive outrage.
The message was supposed to be about generosity not greed. Turning the pulpit into a collection agency is crazy, that’s not ministry, that’s manipulation.
— zzzzz (@rifahzzz) October 21, 2025
Pastors like this are the main reason people are turning away from the church I don’t understand how people are willing giving him this money when he talks like this.
— Rome (@RomezWrld) October 20, 2025
Prosperity gospel. Wolves in sheep clothing – they are of the devil and nothing they say comes from Christ. They use his name to enrich themselves vs enriching the kingdom of God
— Extuhh (@Extuhh) October 21, 2025
Shame on this man, and shame on the church for still having this man in their church. He is a scam artist and grifter… literally stealing money from trusting religious people. As a Christian, I am disgusted by Winans actions.
— marcus simmons (@mgstupelo) October 21, 2025
The arrogant display of entitlement, ungratefulness & GREED is DISGUSTING. This is why people hate the church & I don’t blame them.
Taking advantage of the genuine givers and REAL believers while abusing people’s love for God.
— the Genie
(@GenieJoniqua) October 22, 2025
This is why people don’t take the church and Christianity seriously. The woman who gave her widow’s mite, Jesus said her offering was worth more than the rich men who came to show off
I hope this woman and her son know that God sees them and this man isn’t of God in any way
— mavie.✰ (@mavienotes) October 21, 2025
Both Bishop Winans and McCoy have since alleged that the video footage of McCoy seemingly being “rebuked” has been entirely misinterpreted.
“He absolutely did not rebuke me,” McCoy told Detroit station WXYZ. “Now there’s a difference. There was a correction because I let me clearly state that the pastor gave instructions on the lines to get into.”
The station notes that prior to her approaching the bishop, he’d instructed “those giving $2,000 or more to come to the front first, with others following from the largest donations to as little as $1.62.”
Why? To maintain order and ease life for mothers and the elderly.
“I was calling because the whole church was giving, and it was our day of giving, and the whole church was coming, and we didn’t want people standing, the mothers and all that, so I was calling them by increments,” Winans explained to the station.
“And we had someone that had given out of before, and I corrected it, and I told everybody to listen and come when you call, and that’s all that was,” he added.
(Video Credit: ABC7)
As for the fundraiser, it was for a new church building, the Perfecting Church Cathedral.
“Winans began the $23 million project two decades ago with the hopes of building the 3,200-seat Perfecting Church Cathedral in a few years,” according to the New York Post. “The project stalled in 2008 after funding dried up because of the recession.”
“The 168,000-square-foot structure was abandoned until 2023, when the city of Detroit sued the church, stating the incomplete building was an eyesore. Church officials proposed a new plan for the cathedral, and construction resumed in August 2024 with plans to open the building in June 2026,” the Post notes.
“We’ve been working,” Winans recently told local media. “This is 2025, we been having folk in and out since we started back up, you know, it has been a continual grind, slowing some areas, some things, our long lead items where you have to place the order months and months ahead.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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