Yolanda DeBerry
Yoli was born as Yolanda Renee DeBerry in 1985 in Jamaica Queens, NY into a family of musicians. Her mother, Barbara Banks DeBerry, father Gary DeBerry Sr. and brother Gary DeBerry Jr. have worked tirelessly in music from her birth to present. Spending many days listening to her mother sing, brother play saxophone, and father rehearse with his band, Yoli fell in love with music. Once her parents realized that she had an extreme interest in music, her mother (the minister of music) quickly put her in the church music ministry at a very young age, as well as the music department in school. Her parents saw her passion for singing as she progressed to higher choirs and music programs regardless of the age restrictions. In 1997, Yoli made a major transition to join the Shekinah Youth Chapel of The Greater Allen AME Cathedral of New York. While studying music at Wilberforce University, Yolanda felt that she was ready to take her calling to the next level and accepted the privilege of preaching her initial sermon at the age of 18. After studying with choral director Jeremy Winston at Wilberforce University, the world became her conservatory of music. At the age of 20, she made her first of many trips overseas. While on the road with a recording artist, Yoli made the decision to come home to find what this longing was all about. As Yoli fully rededicated her gift back to God, she's preached, sang and spread the gospel of Christ nonstop and hasn't turned back. While discovering this call, Yoli recognized the greater abilities inside of her by way of the inspiration and motivation of Pastor John P. Kee. She is now the Worship Pastor at New Life Fellowship Center under the leadership Pastor Kee and travels with the New Life Singers. Yoli continues to strive every day to be who and what she is called to be. With the understanding that God is pleased by faith, she denounces fear with every decision that she makes for her ministry. If her movement could be defined with a few words, it would be “No Fear, Only God.”
