Absolutely Amazing Lady Laurona Phelps

With Godly confidence, a winning smile and exuberant energy, she exclaimed, "I am absolutely amazing. And I'm not lying!” That was the opening statement in the interview with Lady Laurona Phelps (https://www.lauronaphelps.com/about). The creator of the "Girl, Fix Yourself!" and “Provoking Moments with Lady Phelps” movements. Lady Phelps embodies a spirituality that encompasses an elevated understanding of the heart of people, especially women. Her energetic personality offers hope to the masses and goes beyond church walls. "There are so many sides to me, starting with being a teenage mother.” Her focus from teenage motherhood was to not become a “statistic.” Celebrated on several occasions as the "mother of the year" at her son's elementary school, Lady Phelps has overcome tragedy and trauma to triumph for such a time as this! Her testimonies and willingness to be transparent and vulnerable are what make her an approachable, relatable leader in church, the marketplace and beyond. She is a voice for single mothers, mothers of children lost to gun violence, mothers of blended families, spiritual mothers of congregations, and to those who have experienced abandonment, rejection, and lost hope because of life experiences. To sum it up, “I may not be for everybody, but I’m for somebody”! Lady Phelps coined this prophetic billboard during her ‘Provoking Moments’ segments and it’s been a contagious proclamation and testimony of freedom and purpose for herself as well as her followers.

About ten years ago, Lady Phelps’ and her mother learned of a new church opening in the area and decided to attend in support of an old friend she courted in her teens. The Pastor of that new church was Eusebio Phelps. Fate, faith, and anointing reconnected the two and three months later, the Pastor of the new church and Lady Phelps wed. Today, she is the adorning wife of Bishop Eusebio Phelps Sr., Pastor of New Faith Christian Church with campuses in Atlanta and Stockbridge, Georgia. She is the loving mother to Samuel, Amanuel, Daisha, Eusebio Jr., Christian, and Mia; and grandmother to Iclyn. Referred to by her family as "a blanket of love," Lady Phelps is deeply in love with her husband. "He is my Priest, Provider, Protector and he lives what he preaches. He makes me feel safe. I am grateful to have him in my life”.

All seemed to be falling into place for her life and she indeed had overcome the statistics of teen motherhood, but life threw them a curveball. In the fall of 2013, Lady Phelps laid to rest her first-born son who was a tragically murdered victim of gun violence. After a period of grieving, her tenacious spirit burst forth with the strength and clarity she needed to respond to God's purpose and calling for her life. Thus, in spring of 2015, Lady Phelps debuted her first book titled From Pain to Purpose and shared her testimonies and truths about her journey which prepared her for her next phase of life. A phase defined by this statement, "...to literally be myself again. I can honestly say I want to be able to give people the authentic side of me. I feel like so many people put flowers on their story. I want to put flowers in my life”.

What is your favorite color? “Believe it or not, people will probably think about me and think that my favorite color would be pink and all that. But actually, my favorite color is Black. Now that's something that people would probably never think.” When asked why she favors this color, she replied, “Black is just a clean look that is chic and stylish. You could never go wrong with black. If you can put 1,000 women dressed in black in a room, you are not going to be able to identify labels. You're not able to identify

where she brought her outfit. Everyone will look classic, unified but still show their unique personality and style”.

"It was important for people to be able to see me in a nontraditional way."

What is your ministry calling? In what capacity do you serve your church? “My ministry calling is, as I learned to define it, very nontraditional and progressive. It reaches beyond church and religious norms. God has called me to provoke people to come out of the caves of insecurity, self-doubt, hopeless, and disappointment. The cave is a dark place, a lonely place but it is not God ordained. It is not a place for people with purpose and vision. I am that leader that comes and literally pulls you out of that cave, turns the light on those dark places and reminds you to get up. There is nothing you cannot overcome. There is nothing you cannot get through. And believe me, my life experiences have allowed me to see the value of coming out of dark places”.

How do you find the women in the cave? “You know, you're able to find people with 'like spirits.’ Like minds are attracted to each other. They can see each person who is just like them. For example, it's just like a drug addict—they are able to identify somebody that's struggling with addiction. A person who's overcome drugs will be able to identify an addict quicker than I because that hasn't been my struggle. The former addict will be able to say, 'Hey, that's what they struggle with too.' When you've been pulled out of a situation, you're able to help others out of that same situation. No matter how much that woman is smiling, no matter how much she says, 'I am okay,' I don't care; I can tell when something is wrong because I've been there. There have been days when I looked like I had it all together, hair flawless, dressed to slay from head to toe, but was still struggling to get out the cave. So, I'm able to identify when a woman is struggling because I believe I've been there too. I sometimes jokingly say, my Holy Ghost ain’t broke, my gift of discernment has never steered me wrong”.

Do you see that ministry is both inside and outside of the church? “My ministry is both outside and inside the church; it’s multifaceted and unique. The streets are my passion but so are the boardrooms of corporate America as well as college students, young ladies, and teenage mothers. When I say I can hit every area in life regarding my passion, there are so many facets to me that give me spiritual fortitude to serve many different types of people. You know, a lot of people try to trap you into being just a ‘First Lady’ with stereotypical roles of sitting on the front row of church with a big fancy hat. I’m different. I’m scripturally sound but relatable and practical in my ministerial calling. I was ministering before I officially embarked on my present role as Executive Pastor. So no, I could never conform to go just sit in the church. I could never go sit in the front row of the church and abandon my assignment outside of the four walls of the church. No, never”!

What is your position in the marketplace and what is your inspiration to follow that calling? “Okay, where should I start? For 24 years, alongside my mother, I worked in our family business as a hairstylist before I ever graced the pulpit. I stood behind the chair at my salon and spoke to the insecurities and sometimes hopelessness of women. If a client said, "Oh, my hair is too thin," I taught them how to embrace their thin hair. I stood behind a chair and listened to people's personal problems and would help them navigate through life challenges. In addition to being a hairstylist, I was a platform artist for many years as well as an educator in the beauty industry. Entrepreneurship runs deeply in my family. I learned at an early age the value of marketing and providing quality services. In addition to making a name for myself in the beauty industry, I have a clothing boutique that is ready to reopen May 2021. I’m in a partnership with a financial service company that allows me to help you fix your credit while ministering to fix your life path and impact your self-awareness. I am also an author and a creative mind that produces products and services in excellence. My mind works fast, and I dream and have visions that allow me to do amazing things! ‘I've always looked at myself as a person who is able to overcome anything. I've always had that type of mindset. And so, when I say I have so many parts of me, I mean that, in addition to what I have already stated, I can go from being a life coach (not a bleeding life coach because before I coach, I must heal first) to successfully running several businesses. Presently, Bishop and I own and operate the New Faith Early Learning Center and the New Faith Academy located in Stockbridge, Georgia”.

In addition to the many facets of Lady Phelps, she is also a great friend. "I 'water' the relationships I have. Being a friend is intentional for me. I don't X out a friend as an old season because I am in a new season." Self-identified as "the mother to many," Lady Phelps' compassion for family, friends and her church family rings true to her spirit. “When compared to the average person, I believe I see life with a different set of lenses. I embrace the family of the men who murdered my son because I saw their pain. With time, prayer, and the pastoring of my husband, I was able to forgive them. My personal connections are important to me. I love my sisters.” It is important for her to be intentional with sisterly relationships. Since the pandemic, fellowships have been limited. Lady Phelps, along with one of her close friends, plan to host a "best friends' day" in which friends, old and new, are invited to the spa to relax, sit around, and talk after the pandemic is over. More importantly she is intentional about maintaining her relationship with all her friends, her family, and those connected to her in ministry.

Though it took several years to rise after the paralyzing pain of her son's death, Lady Phelps said, "I made a choice to live again." The book From Pain to Purpose has encouraged others to seek a ray of light and make the choice to live again. Lady Phelps engages people with provoking moments every Tuesday and Thursday night on Facebook Live. She encourages her listeners to live again. Try again. Look again. Trust again.

Lady Phelps' decision to make the choice to get up and live again after her son’s death has been a blessing for all of us who have had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know her. Her ‘prophetic billboard’ message empowers and inspires you to confidently say, “I’m not for everybody, but I’m for somebody.” She has wholeheartedly accepted her assignment as leader, marketplace influencer, provoker, game changer, and is living her testimony, From Pain to Purpose!

What three words define you? “Influencer – Provoker – Encourager”

Biography

LADY LAURONA PHELPS

A mover and shaker in the kingdom market place and beyond! Lady Phelps responds to the clarion call of ministry in a completely non- traditional platform. “I want to move beyond the walls and constraints of traditionalism.” Lady Phelps is a powerful woman of God who lives the aforementioned vision by meeting people where they are without judgement but with love, relatability and authenticity.

Working relentlessly, yet humbly in a progressive ministry, she is the creator of Boss Christian Chic, Inc., M.A.G.G (Mothers against guns and gangs), and The Lady Boutique, all of which she has used as her platform to empower, educate, and encourage women to embrace their full potential. Lady Phelps hosts an annual women's conference, My Pain is Pushing me into my Purpose which was birthed out of the tragedy of losing her first born son, Samuel. The conference speaks to addressing ones transparent truths about hardships and disappointments and seeks to uplift people from a place of despair to a place of hope.

Currently, she offers seeds of wisdom and practicality for authentic living every Tuesday and Thursday through her “Provoking Moments” segment via Facebook Live. Lady Phelps has also coined the phrases, “I’m not for everybody, but I’m for somebody!” and “Girl, Fix yourself!”, both of which empower people to look again at self and embrace their uniqueness and seek to address hidden challenges. In addition, she is a high ranking leader in a major credit repair company to help all generations to be fiscally responsible. Bishop and Lady Phelps are the proud owners of the New Faith Early Learning Center and the New Faith Academy located in Stockbridge, Georgia.

On the horizon, Lady Phelps is preparing to launch a second book, create a stage play for her first book and expand her ministry outreach to international regions.

Lady Laurona Phelps is a loving mother to Samuel, Amanuel, Daisha, Eusebio Jr., Christian, Mia and grandmother to Iclyn. She serves in ministry alongside her loving husband, Bishop Eusebio Phelps Sr., Pastor of New Faith Christian Church.