'We Wanted You to Die': Witch Converts After Black Magic Curse Backfires on 96-Hour Preaching Pastor

A Mississippi pastor says a four-day Bible preaching marathon ended with an unexpected message from a young woman who identified herself as a witch and claimed she had joined others in attempting to place curses on him during the livestream, but instead embraced Christianity after watching him preach.

Pastor Matthew Olson, who leads First Baptist Church of Sharon in Jones County, Mississippi, shared the account during an interview with The Christian Post, describing it as one of the most remarkable moments to emerge from his 96-hour preaching marathon. The woman's account has not been independently verified, and the story relies on Olson's recollection of their subsequent conversations.

Four Days of Continuous Preaching

Olson preached continuously from Genesis to Revelation between 30 May and 4 June, completing what he described as an unofficial world record attempt for marathon public Bible preaching.

The event was livestreamed online and attracted viewers from around the world, many of whom followed portions of the four-day reading as Olson worked through every book of Scripture.

Speaking to The Christian Post, Olson said the experience pushed him to his physical limits.

'There were moments when I honestly didn't know whether my body would hold up,' he said, explaining that exhaustion eventually became so severe that others had to help support him while he continued preaching.

Despite the physical strain, Olson said he viewed the experience as part of his ministry.

'God allows hostility,' he said, adding that opposition was something he expected rather than feared.

A Message He Didn't Expect

According to Olson, the most unexpected development came after the marathon had ended.

He said he received a text message from a young woman identified only as Lindsay, who claimed she had practised witchcraft before watching the livestream.

Olson recalled her opening message:

'You don't know me, but I've been trying to get a hold of you. I need you to know this: God used you to save me during the 96 hours.'

He also said she told him, 'I was a witch up until last week.'

IBTimes UK has not independently verified Lindsay's identity or the claims described by Olson.

Claims of Attempted Curses

According to Olson, Lindsay explained that she and several friends deliberately tuned into the livestream after hearing Christians they knew were following the event.

He said she claimed their intention was not to support the marathon but to curse him while he preached.

Olson recalled Lindsay later apologising.

'I'm so sorry we did that, but I'm not sorry for what happened.'

He said she described increasingly disturbing details about what the group allegedly hoped would happen during the broadcast.

According to Olson, she told him, 'We cursed you, and said that we wanted your insides to shrivel up... for you to choke and your throat to fill up with blood.'

Olson noted that the symptoms she allegedly described reminded him of complications he has experienced from Crohn's disease, although he did not suggest there was evidence linking his medical condition to the alleged curses.

He said Lindsay also told him, 'We knew you would die. We wanted you to die. But you didn't.'

From Opposition To Baptism

According to Olson, the turning point came while he was preaching through Romans, roughly 72 hours into the marathon.

Video from the livestream shows Olson visibly exhausted as he leaned against the pulpit while continuing his message about salvation through Christ.

During that section, he said, 'This world has been robbed by false religions that have made you feel that if you just tried more, if you just worked harder... somehow then you would be loved.'

He continued, 'I serve the one true God, who, not in our performance but in our sin, demonstrated His love in this way: He did not wait for you to come to Him, He left the throne for you.'

Olson said Lindsay later told him those words deeply affected her.

He also claimed she believed he was speaking directly to her and another friend named Marcus, despite never mentioning either person during the broadcast.

According to Olson, Lindsay eventually accepted Christianity and was baptised approximately 10 days later.

Olson Says the Story Defined the Marathon

Although Olson completed the four-day preaching challenge after recovering enough strength to continue without assistance, he said finishing the marathon was not what stayed with him most.

Instead, he pointed to Lindsay's alleged conversion.

'That is, to me, one of the best stories of the entire thing,' Olson said.

He later told The Christian Post by email that Lindsay claimed the group attempted to curse him on 2 June while he was preaching from the Book of Romans.

Olson maintained that the event was never intended as a publicity exercise or endurance challenge for its own sake. Rather, he said his goal was to proclaim the entire Bible from beginning to end.

Whether every aspect of Lindsay's account can be independently confirmed remains unclear. However, Olson says the message reinforced his belief that even those who initially opposed his preaching could ultimately be transformed by what they heard.