- Bishop Stephen Adegbite, Chairman of Lagos Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has raised concerns over a viral video from The Lord’s Chosen Ministry member
- Adegbite challenged anyone making miraculous claims to demonstrate them in controlled settings, labelling many stories as blatant lies
- In light of the controversy, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Lagos chapter plans to hold a meeting to discuss this and other concerning testimonies
Bishop Stephen Adegbite, Chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has expressed grave concerns over a viral video featuring a woman from The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, who claimed to receive divine help during a Federal Government exam.
Adegbite dismissed her testimony as a fabrication, emphasising that true divine assistance is rooted in hard work and faith, stating, “God doesn’t work like that” while speaking with the Punch on Saturday, September 21.
Testimonies harming religious reputation, Adegbite
He further said, “There are no shortcuts to success in life except through diligence and trust in God. This kind of testimony should not be entertained in any church.”
He called out church leaders for their failure to review testimonies before public sharing, cautioning that narratives like this can harm the reputation of religious organisations.
“You must scrutinize the testimony before allowing it to be shared with the congregation. If the testimony is suitable only for monkeys, it should be told to monkeys, not human beings,” The CAN chairman commented frankly.
Woman claims 'old man' provided answers during exam
The woman in the controversial viral video described how an “old man” manifested in the examination hall and gave her answers, which she then passed on to another candidate.
The unnamed church member testified that the exam was a military promotion assessment with 50 questions: 40 about career knowledge and 10 concerning current affairs.
According to her, a current affairs question instructed candidates to list ten Francophone countries and their capital cities. “Nobody knew the answer to this question,” she stated.
Woman shares testimony, “I declared I am a Chosen”
“So, I raised my paper and declared, ‘I am a Chosen! This question, who are you? Where is the God of my pastor’s power?’ Suddenly, an old man in white appeared beside me and said, ‘My daughter, begin to write.’ And I began to write.”
The woman alleged that the invigilators, noticing something amiss, took away her apron, which made the “angel” vanish. However, when they returned the apron, the old man reappeared and resumed providing answers.
Additionally, she mentioned that a fellow candidate, who looked like she belonged to the Mountain of Fire Ministries based on her appearance, copied her answers before their submissions.
Her testimony received cheers from the church congregation, but the video has faced significant backlash, from the public and religious leaders.
Adegbite challenges claimants to prove stories in controlled settings
This was not the first occurrence of testimonies from The Lord’s Chosen Ministry causing public controversy.
Previous viral videos included stories of members who claimed miraculous events, including one man stating that a lion saved him from kidnappers and another asserting that bullets were unable to pierce his skull.
The CAN Chairman labelled these claims as false, challenging anyone to demonstrate such miracles in controlled settings.
CAN to hold meeting addressing controversial testimonies
“If anyone insists on these stories, let them come to church, stand before us, and we will test their claims with real bullets. They are blatant lies,” Adegbite stated.
In response to the controversy, the Lagos chapter of CAN has decided to hold a meeting to address this controversy and other related testimonies of concern.
Bishop Adegbite emphasized that the association is prepared to take a firm stance against what he called unacceptable comments going on among Pentecostal pastors.
Lord’s Chosen defends church amid video controversy
Meanwhile, Pastor Chidi Louis, who leads Public Relations and Media for The Lord’s Chosen Ministry, claimed that the videos were manipulated to discredit the church.
He stated that the church does not impose restrictions on its members' testimonies, as it supports their ability to share their truth, even if it was experienced in a dream.
“We don’t guide people on what to say. If they have a testimony, we give them the platform to share it as they wish,” the Lord’s Chosen Ministry reacted to the criticism.
“I am a Chosen”: Mike Bamiloye warns Christians against fake testimonies
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Mike Bamiloye, the founder of Mount Zion Faith Ministries issued a warning to Christians about the dangers of sharing misleading testimonies in church.
He called for accountability and encouraged those involved to seek repentance.