Detroit Taxpayer-Funded Nonprofit Pays Pastor $540,000 for a Part-Time Job

A Detroit megachurch pastor who publicly shamed a parishioner over a small donation collected a $540,000 salary from a taxpayer-funded nonprofit — for what IRS filings list as a half-time job. Who's involved: Marvin Winans, a Grammy-winning gospel singer and longtime pastor of Detroit's Perfecting Church, has spent roughly 20 years building a new church facility originally budgeted at $60 million. Work stalled after 2008 and only resumed after the city of Detroit sued, threatening to seize the property if it wasn't completed. The donation controversy: At a church "Giving Day" event last year, Winans publicly admonished a woman who donated $1,235 instead of the requested $2,000, sparking widespread criticism. He later said the criticism stemmed from her approaching at the wrong point in the donation order, not the amount. The nonprofit: Winans also leads Perfecting Community Development Corporation, a separate taxpayer- and state-grant-funded nonprofit that provides food, clothing, and other services, spending roughly $1 million/year. His salary from the nonprofit has more than doubled in recent years, hitting $540,000 last year — 61% of the nonprofit's reported mission spending, and unusually high compared to similar organizations. IRS filings list the role as half-time, meaning an effective rate above $500/hour. The state money: Winans' raises have coincided with increased government funding, including a $500,000 Michigan state grant in 2024. The Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, which issued the grant, told The Center Square it has no evidence the money was misspent but didn't respond to follow-up questions about how it verifies that. The governor's office didn't respond to requests for comment. No response from Winans: The Center Square's Jared Strong made multiple attempts — phone calls, an in-person visit, and a detailed email — to get comment from Winans; none have been answered. The Center Square's investigative unit continues digging into nonprofit spending nationwide — see more in the Investigations section at TheCenterSquare.com. #Detroit #Michigan #GovernmentAccountability #NonprofitSpending #CenterSquare #TheStates