ResurrectionChallenge: South African Pastor Sparks Twitter Craze

A pastor in South Africa who claimed to have performed a resurrection has sparked a social media craze as users took to the web mockingly mimicking his miraculous powers.

A video of Alleluia Ministries International pastor Alph Lukau “reviving” a supposedly dead man emerged over the weekend and quickly went viral.

It showed Lukau laying his hands on a body dressed in a white suit and lying in a coffin which suddenly came to life and jumped to his feet.

This man died for 3 days, today at AMI under the anointing of our father Ps Alph Lukau he rose from the dead. Family Pastor Alph walks with God. Ps Alph is a man of God. You are yet to be amazed. God of Alph Lukau

— Sheila Celeste (@She_Celeste) February 24, 2019

Within hours the hashtag #ResurrectionChallenge was trending on Twitter as users posted wry images of their own dramatic “revivals” alongside screen shots of Lukau’s supposed miracle.

#ResurrectionChallenge pic.twitter.com/o6eUfQ7bJy

— Lungisa Xhamela (@Lungisamusiq) February 25, 2019

This man died for 3 days, today at AMI under the anointing of our father Ps Alph Lukau he rose from the dead. Family Pastor Alph walks with God. Ps Alph is a man of God. You are yet to be amazed. God of Alph Lukau

— Sheila Celeste (@She_Celeste) February 24, 2019

To the people who have been asking and speculating it's me standing at the back there, I plead innocence! 😅 #ResurrectionChallenge pic.twitter.com/PSBKlqZXTm

— Ulrich Janse van Vuuren (@UlrichJvV) February 25, 2019

But Lukau’s supposed resurrection prompted a backlash from the funeral home, “hired” to make the arrangements for the “dead” man.

“As Kings and Queens Funeral Services, we would like to distance ourselves from the supposed resurrection,” the company wrote in a statement.

“We are in the process of taking legal action for this malicious damage to our image.”

By Tuesday the Allelulia church had distanced itself from the incident, telling local media that “it was not a resurrection miracle”.

The church has declined to comment on criticism that it deceived worshippers, the Sowetan newspaper said.