Founder of Celebration Church International, CCI, Emmanuel Iren, has opened up on why he started producing movies as a pastor.

He appeared as a guest on TVC’s Breakfast show on Saturday, where he explained that the venture into filmmaking marks a new chapter in his mission to spread his message and shape culture.

Iren, whose debut movie ‘What About Us?’ will premiere on July 12, emphasised the need for churches to adopt various methods to spread God’s word, as long as the platform can raise disciples.

The cleric said; “There is a cultural expectation from pastors. It’s an ironic and contradictory expectation. You even hear some banter out there when people tell men of God, ‘Go and get a real job.’ And when we actually do, they are now asking, ‘Why?’

“Besides that, I just really believe in deploying all my gifts and being the best I can. If God gave me gifts, there must be a reason for it. The short answer is that I’m doing it because I can.

“So many things informed the movie. I just want creative ways to tell true stories. It is obvious that this is a faith-based movie at best, but this is a proper real-life movie.

“There are other ulterior motives, and this is one: my children have a bit of an accent, and it’s not from us. So the reality is that in every home, there are three parents: the father, the mother, and the television.

“So instead of crying and whining about it, be a part of the culture-shaping process. Be a part of the production, not just the consumption”.