A viral video of a member of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry has caused a social media storm after she shared a testimony about receiving divine assistance during a Federal Government examination.
The unnamed woman claimed that an old man appeared to her in the examination hall and provided answers to a series of questions, a claim that has left many Nigerians stunned.
The woman explained that the exam was one of the promotional tests for the military, involving 50 questions—40 on career-related matters and 10 on current affairs. The controversial moment came when she revealed that she was stuck on a question asking her to name 10 Francophone countries and their capitals.
“Brethren, nobody knew this question,” she said, before narrating how she declared, “I am a Chosen! I am a chosen!! I am a chosen!!!” Shortly after, she claimed, an old man dressed in white appeared beside her and began dictating the answers. Despite efforts by the exam invigilators to stop her by removing her church apron, she said the “angel” returned once the apron was replaced.
The testimony took another turn when she admitted to helping a fellow candidate, a member of the Mountain of Fire Ministries, copy her answers. According to her, the two were the only candidates in the hall of 102 who successfully answered the questions.
As the testimony concluded, the church congregation erupted in applause and celebration.
However, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos Chapter, was far from impressed. In a strong rebuttal, he condemned the testimony as “foolish talk” and a fabrication. He criticized the church for allowing such claims to be made in public and stressed that God does not assist in examinations through supernatural means.
“God doesn’t act that way,” Adegbite stated. “There are no shortcuts to academic success other than hard work and belief in God.”
He also warned against accepting such testimonies in church, stating, “There are testimonies you don’t allow to be given in the church… If you know that the story they are telling can only be told to monkeys, you should ask the person to go and face the monkeys.”
Adegbite also took issue with other viral testimonies from the same church, including a member claiming to have been saved by a lion from kidnappers and another testifying that bullets could not penetrate his head. He dismissed these claims as “blatant lies from the pit of hell.”
In response to the controversy, Pastor Chidi Louis, Head of Public Relations and Media for The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, defended the church’s decision to allow members to share their testimonies freely. He suggested that some of the events described may have occurred in dreams and accused critics of doctoring the videos to tarnish the church’s image.
“There is no need for us to begin to doubt someone’s testimony,” Louis stated. “If anybody comes and says he wants to give a testimony, we give that person the opportunity… We don’t guide people on what to say or how to say it.”
Despite the backlash, the church remains unfazed by the uproar, with Louis indicating that they are not concerned by social media critics.
Meanwhile, CAN announced plans to address the situation at its upcoming general meeting, citing concerns about the “madness” spreading among Pentecostal pastors on social media.
