Jackelyn Viera Iloff is a partner at StarLighter Films and Entertainment. As an executive producer, she brings a vast array of business experience and knowledge to film making and production. Her skills including strategic planning, marketing, public relations, social media, financing, and production. She has worked as a consultant on numerous projects in the entertainment industry including the 2018 film Walking With Herb, and the History Channel’s The Jesus I Knew, and the 2016 Houston Ben-Hur Film Premiere event. She has also worked as a producer for content and design with Channel 55/ Wild About Houston, a local television magazine show. She has served as an Executive Advisor for the 18th Annual NFL Sanctioned Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, and Executive Producer for Lakewood Church for the Houston Recovers with Clay Walker and Friends Benefit Concert in Association with Houston’s Office of the Mayor. Jackelyn is a Senior Advisor at Joel Osteen Ministries and Lakewood Church. She is a speaker and the author of What if You Could…find faith in the face of fear. She directs a team that implements marketing and social media strategies, event planning, coordination and logistics, outreach programs, and issues briefings. She is an ordained minister at Lakewood Church, the largest congregation in the United States. Jackelyn serves on The Elizabeth Dole Foundation Faith Council, and is Ministry Media Liaison to several entertainment leaders Connect with her at: jackelynvierailoff.com, or on social media at:Twitter: @jVierailoff, Facebook: @jackelynvierailoff, or Instagram: @jviloff
Kathleen Cooke: In our fast pace overscheduled culture women are stretched and challenged. You work in media with one of the top pastors and churches in the world so your schedule must be impossible most days. How have you not let the craziness of life and career work interrupt your personal faith?
Jackelyn Iloff: Your unfailing faith is what connects you to God and His authority. If you could truly understand all that faith allows you to do you would be able to affirm the very presence of God and the very substance of His Spirit would appear right in front of you. Like Moses and others in the Bible, their faith allowed them to see God’s very presence.
Kathleen: Some have said that we are presently in a new awakening of women and their significance in the Church. However, with all injustice, there has to be forgiveness before healing can transpire. What has God taught you about forgiveness?
Jackelyn: God will not tolerate unforgiveness or hard-heartedness. He forgives us over and over, no matter how many times we ask because He loves us. But if we can’t forgive others, we cannot command His power and authority. Jesus explained this through the parable of the unforgiving servant: Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” (Matthew 18 21-35). God wants us to operate as He does, and if we can’t forgive, we are not acting in love toward others. Unforgiveness will pollute your heart, your words, and your spirit so you can do no mighty works. Getting past deep hurt is difficult. On your own and without the power of the Holy Spirit you may not be able to forgive the horrible things that were done to you. But when you seek God, He will give you grace and fortify you. Let Him bring down those strongholds.
Kathleen: One of the constant complaints I hear from women waiting for career direction or how to move forward on a media project is that God seems to be silent. Why isn’t He responding?
Jackelyn: God is never silent; we just are not stopping to listen. He has an answer that we may not want to acknowledge but His answer is always available to us.
Kathleen: You have recently launch Southcoast Alliance to develop professionals and media and entertainment that will affect culture positively. What’s the one thing you’ve learned about being a positive influence.
Jackelyn: You can’t be a candle in the wind. You have to be a lighthouse so full of light that you dispel the darkness and fear, so all are attracted to God’s message. That is influence. It’s changing hearts and minds to a better place. Isaiah 54:2-3 says, “Enlarge the place of your tent…spread to the right and to the left…your offspring will possess the nations…”
