A viral testimony video from a member of The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry in Lagos has ignited widespread outrage on social media. In the video, a woman proudly shared a remarkable account of receiving divine help during a Federal Government promotional exam, and how she passed this assistance to a fellow candidate during the test. This testimony has led to heated discussions, particularly about ethics, faith, and examination integrity.
The unnamed woman described her experience in great detail. According to her, while taking one of the military promotional exams—which included 50 questions, with 40 focused on career-related topics and 10 on current affairs—she found herself stumped by a specific question. The question asked for a list of 10 Francophone countries and their capitals, something she claimed no one in the hall knew how to answer.
Facing this challenging question, the woman said she called upon her faith by lifting her exam paper and boldly proclaiming, “I am a Chosen! I am a Chosen!! I am a Chosen!!!” She then reportedly called out to God, asking where the divine power of her pastor was to help her through this test. In response to her prayer, she claimed an old man dressed in white appeared next to her in the exam hall and began dictating the answers to her.
According to her testimony, this divine figure provided her with the answers to the entire section of questions on current affairs. However, her miraculous experience was briefly interrupted when exam invigilators, noticing something strange, removed her apron—a garment the church members often wear. She said the removal of the apron caused the “angel” to disappear. Angered by this, she put her apron back on, and immediately, the old man reappeared and continued providing answers.
In addition to this divine intervention, the woman revealed that she didn’t keep the answers to herself. She explained how she discreetly signaled to a fellow candidate sitting next to her, who was identified as a member of another church, Mountain of Fire Ministries, based on her clothing. The woman allowed the other candidate to copy her answers before both submitted their exam sheets, becoming the only two people in a hall of 102 candidates to complete the exam successfully.
As she concluded her testimony before her church congregation, the crowd erupted in praise and celebration, treating the woman’s story as a miraculous event. However, outside the church, reactions to the viral video were far less enthusiastic. Many were shocked and disturbed by the narrative, accusing the woman of promoting unethical behavior and exam malpractice.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Lagos, Bishop Stephen Adegbite, was one of the first to publicly condemn the testimony. Expressing his disbelief, Adegbite stated that such stories of divine intervention during exams were misleading and harmful. According to him, God does not perform miracles in ways that encourage dishonesty or shortcuts. The bishop emphasized that academic success is only achieved through hard work, dedication, and belief in God—not by waiting for supernatural assistance during exams.
Adegbite further criticized the church for allowing such a testimony to be shared in the first place. He argued that churches should be careful about the kind of stories they allow to be presented before their congregations. “There are testimonies you don’t allow to be given in the church,” he said, suggesting that this particular story was more suitable for “monkeys” rather than humans. In his view, the church should have screened the woman’s story before allowing it to be shared publicly, as it could give a bad impression of Christianity.
The CAN chairman also questioned the validity of the woman’s claims, saying that no one should believe such a story without verifying it. He called for witnesses from the exam hall to come forward and either confirm or refute the woman’s account. Otherwise, he stated, it should be dismissed as a fabrication. Adegbite went on to emphasize that God gives people strength to study and excel in their exams, but would not appear in the form of an old man to dictate answers. “There is no shortcut to success in life other than hard work and belief in God,” he said.
This testimony is not the first to cause controversy. There have been several similar stories circulating online from members of The Lord’s Chosen church, sparking debates about the credibility of such claims. In one instance, a church member shared a story about being miraculously saved from kidnappers by a lion, while in another case, a man claimed bullets fired at his head did not penetrate his skull. These stories, often regarded as fantastical, have caused concern among both religious leaders and social media users.
Bishop Adegbite addressed these past incidents as well, dismissing them as complete fabrications. He even challenged those who made such claims to prove them. For instance, he suggested that if someone believed a bullet could not harm them, they should come to church and allow someone to fire a gun at them to test their claim. “They are all blatant lies from the pit of hell,” Adegbite declared. He reiterated that CAN would be holding a general meeting in Lagos to address the rising trend of what he called “madness” among Pentecostal pastors and their congregations.
In response to the backlash, Pastor Chidi Louis, the Head of Public Relations and Media for The Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry, defended the church’s position on testimonies. He explained that the church does not censor or pre-approve the stories shared by its members, as they believe people should be allowed to express their personal experiences freely. Pastor Louis suggested that many of the testimonies could be rooted in dreams or visions, and that social media users were too quick to criticize without understanding the context.
Pastor Louis also accused critics of using doctored videos to discredit the church, claiming that the incidents described in the videos might not have occurred in real life but rather in the dreams of the testifiers. Despite the negative attention these testimonies have attracted, he stated that the church remains unbothered by social media trolls. He firmly stood by the decision to allow members to share their experiences without interference, asserting that each individual’s story is personal and should not be questioned.
This incident has raised broader discussions about the role of religion in everyday life and the fine line between faith and ethics. While many believers see testimonies as an important part of their spiritual journey, others argue that they can sometimes promote irresponsible behavior or unrealistic expectations. In the case of the viral exam testimony, the divide between faith and academic integrity has come to the forefront, sparking important conversations about what is acceptable within the church and society at large.
As CAN prepares to address the issue formally, the debate over the testimonies shared in The Lord’s Chosen church and other Pentecostal congregations will likely continue. The incident has underscored the need for caution when mixing personal religious experiences with public matters, particularly when it involves education and fairness in examinations.