A Sunday service at Macedonia Worship Center has gone viral after an unexpected confrontation unfolded between the church’s First Lady and one of its worship leaders — right in the middle of worship.
During the congregation’s live-streamed service last week, First Lady Cassandra Pope, who leads alongside her husband, Pastor Walter Pope, abruptly turned her attention away from delivering a message to call out worship leader Mahogonee.
Cassandra accused Mahogonee of being “fake,” citing that she hugged her differently than usual before service began. She then dismissed the longtime singer from her duties with the choir, stating in front of the congregation:
“The word of God tells us that open rebuke is better than secret love. So we can’t have that up in this house. … If you need to, excuse yourself, I’m going to go ahead and permit you to do that on this morning. But if not, you can just go ahead and sing for the Lord.”
Caught off guard, Mahogonee collected herself before walking off stage.
Pastor Shows Support for His Wife
Later in the service, Pastor Walter Pope directly addressed the incident, telling the congregation he supported how his wife handled the matter.
His remarks only fueled further discussion on social media, where clips of the confrontation began circulating rapidly.
Mahogonee Speaks Out
In a statement posted online, Mahogonee said she was left embarrassed and deeply disappointed after two years of serving the church’s music ministry.
“If you fast forward to the 2:00 mark, you’ll witness me being fired from a church that I led worship at for the past 2 years up until this morning,” she wrote. “The way that some ministry leaders treat those who have served under them should really be studied. Let this be an example of how NOT to treat those who have done nothing but serve and help to grow a music ministry.”
Social Media Reacts
The incident has sparked widespread criticism and debate, with some defending Cassandra Pope’s actions as “biblical correction,” while others condemned it as an example of spiritual abuse and public humiliation.
The controversy continues to trend online as worshipers and church leaders nationwide weigh in on what many call a cautionary tale about leadership, respect, and accountability inside religious institutions.
