“Poverty must never come near my family again” — Pastor Emmanuel Iren recounts moment that changed his life

Popular Nigerian pastor and preacher, Pastor Emmanuel Iren, has shared a personal experience from his childhood that shaped his lifelong resolve to break free from poverty.

A childhood memory that left a mark

According to the cleric, the incident happened during a period when his family was struggling financially and living in his uncle’s house.

Both families were expected to attend a burial ceremony outside their city, but the journey exposed the stark contrast between their realities.

“Something happened to me that made me realise poverty must never come near my family again,” he said. “We were struggling financially and living in my uncle’s house.”

He explained that while his parents had to leave home as early as 6 a.m. to travel by road, the experience that followed stayed with him for years.

A stark contrast in the same household

Pastor Iren described how his uncle’s routine that day highlighted the deep gap between comfort and struggle.

“By 6 a.m., my parents were already at the bus park and on the road,” he recalled. “My uncle dressed up, wore his tie, took his kids to school, went to the office, came back home to eat lunch… while my parents were still on the road.”

The difference in access, time, and comfort became even more evident later that day.

A defining realisation

He said the final moment that reshaped his mindset came when his uncle boarded a flight after lunch.

“After lunch, he drove to the airport, boarded a flight, and arrived before my parents,” Pastor Iren said. “That day changed everything for me.”

The pastor noted that the experience instilled in him a determination to build stability, opportunity, and security for his family, ensuring that financial hardship would not define his future.

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