A US church has drawn the attention of sceptics after failing to provide proof of an alleged miracle that saw a woman grow toes.
Pastor John Lindell, of the Joplin James River Church, said a woman re-grew her toes during a church prayer meeting, after having them amputated previously.
The preacher has labelled it a “creative miracle,” but has refused to provide any photos.
People have taken to social media to criticise the pastor, accusing him of “making it up” because of his failure to provide proof.
Some referenced Luke 17:14: “And when (Jesus) saw (the lepers), he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed."
In a bid for the truth, a website has been set up at ShowMeToes.com, urging people with proof of the supposed miracle to come forward. The website is now inaccessible.
Kristina Dines had her toes amputated in 2015, after being shot by her then-husband.
"Tonight, I can stand on my tippy-toes. Listen, do you understand?" Dines said a video posted to Facebook, which has since been deleted. "I can stand on tippy-toes. No, I couldn't do that because I didn't have toes to tippy on."
"As the ladies prayed for Krissy over the next 30 minutes, all three toes grew, and by that point, were longer than her pinky toe. Within an hour, nails began to grow on all the toes," Lindell said in the livestream.
During the Sunday service, Lindell also claimed that members of his congregation were going to be able to raise people from the dead.
James River Church is a cluster of four Pentecostal in Missouri, and are associated with the Assemblies of God USA. The Joplin campus is the latest of the four branches to open, welcoming congregations for the first time in 2018.
Lindell has been preaching at the Missouri church since 1991.
In 2020, they came under considerable criticism for hosting multiple large, indoor Christmas events, despite concerns about rocketing rates of coronavirus in the area.
The affiliated college hosts around 130 students every year.
Premier Christian News has reached out to James River Church for comment.