KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A pastor in Missouri has issued a public apology after a video surfaced that appeared to show him berating his congregation for not buying him luxury gifts.
In the video shared to TikTok, Rev. Carlton Funderburke describes his congregants as “poor, broke, busted and disgusted, because of how you’ve been honoring me.” Funderburke challenges the congregants, saying: “I’m not worth your McDonald’s money? I’m not worth your Red Lobster money? I’m not worth your St. John Knit? Y’all can’t afford it nohow. I ain’t worth y’all Louis Vuitton? I ain’t worth your Prada? I’m not worth your Gucci?”
Funderburke also references a desire for a luxury watch, saying: “You can buy a Movado watch in [Sam’s Club]. And y’all know I asked for one last year. Here it is all the way in August and I still ain’t got it. Let me kick down the door and talk to my cheap sons and daughters.”
The video was taken at a sermon Funderburke gave at the Church at the Well in Kansas City on Aug. 7, and racked up more than 560,000 views in four days once it was posted to social media, The Washington Post reported.
The Church at the Well posted a video on Facebook featuring an apology from Funderburke. In it, he said: “The video clip does not reflect my heart or my sentiments towards God’s people, yet that’s not discernible in the clip. Therefore, I offer this sincere apology to you today. No context could erase the words I used. I apologize to all who have been hurt, angered or in any way damaged by my words.”
Funderburke is one of two senior pastors at the church, with the other being his wife, Sylvarena, according to the church’s website.
Requests for comment from the church by The Guardian and The Washington Post were not returned.