A great filmmaker, storyteller, author, and pastor, Laju Iren wears many hats. Add motherhood and raising four children to the mix, and you’re left wondering: how does she do it all?
She tells Chude Jideonwo on this episode of #WithChude.
In the inspiring and heartfelt interview, Pastor Laju who is married to the popular Pastor Emmanuel Iren, a gospel power couple and influential voices for Gen Z Christians, shares an intimate look into their journey of faith, creativity, and family life.
Celebrating their 10 years of marriage, Pastor Laju reflects on the challenges and triumphs of building a thriving partnership, managing a global ministry, and raising four children.
Her candid insights on balancing her role as a pastor, filmmaker, and mother reveal the strength of her faith and the importance of community and support.
In this conversation, Laju also addresses misconceptions about pastors, her approach to handling social media criticism, and her perspective on navigating the “darkness in the world” today.
According Laju, her journey began with self-awareness, recognising her strengths, weaknesses, and limitations, which helped her navigate her various roles.
She explained that defining herself through her relationship with Christ, rather than her roles, gave her a deeper sense of purpose and identity.
Laju also highlighted the vital role of her support system, especially her husband. Describing him as a creative person, she credited his unwavering support for enabling her to pursue her dreams.
“Because I am a girl with much grace, what I learnt very early is to first define myself based on who I am in Christ.
Because there are going to be seasons in my life maybe I am not preaching as much or making films.
I have a beautiful marriage which is amazing, but the thing is, if you keep defining yourself by roles, once any of those roles are not in their perfect positions, it becomes very difficult to find yourself.
There have been seasons in my life where I was just a pregnant woman being on bed rest and raising a child.
One great gift I have is self-awareness. If I am working on anything apart from ministry or family, it is most likely a three to four-month project. One thing that has really helped me is to realize that all the things I do do not define me. I am defined by Christ.
Many people are called to be pastor’s wives. Of all the things I do, that one is a lot. I think it is a grace thing. I am also surrounded by incredible people. My husband is a lot of things. He is also a creative guy.”
