After their interaction went viral, both Winans and McCoy gave statements explaining that Winans was not correcting the amount of McCoy’s giving but the fact she had gone out of order. McCoy also told WYXZ News that Winans had apologized to her.
Later in his Oct. 26 sermon, Winans alluded to the criticism he received last week. “I don’t want you to think that I spent one minute somewhere crying, discouraged,” he said. “Hallelujah. Hallelujah. ‘Cause I’ve been walking with him too long.”
“Everybody talking didn’t know what they was talking about ‘cause the premise was a lie,” said Winans. “I don’t have to apologize for a lie.”
“Every viral tongue, every viral opinion, everybody that decided they needed to jump on board and say something,” he continued, “didn’t know what they was talking about, have never been in the church or gave a dime to the church.”
“And that’s what the devil is trying to do. He’s trying to say words to discourage the people of God and make them feel insignificant and inferior,” Winans said, going on to talk about people slandering him. Those who criticize have their own problems, he said, such as being drunk, being high, or playing the lottery.
“They have made a judgment against the church,” said the pastor, “and everybody in it called you fools for giving your money.”
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“Let me remind you that we are in a spiritual warfare,” Winans said. “Nothing about this has to do anything with the flesh. Everything about this has to deal with the spirit.”
Winans encouraged his congregation not to fight his battles. “God has gotten in front of it,” he said. “God is able to handle the enemy. No matter what the enemy throws at you, there be more with us than be with them. I know it went viral, but God is greater than viral.”
