Our Story

Yolanda Kelty-Douthit founded “The Sanctuary” along with her husband, Monte Douthit in 2008 after the passing of her beloved father, Rev. Marvin N. Kelty, and her aunt, Pastor Barbara J. Cameron. After their untimely passing four months apart, she was distraught with grief and was empty; seeking direction and healing as they both were very influential forces in her life.  She was a member of a local church, but it was not providing the salve to heal her wounded soul. She desperately sought out a place where she could find comfort and relief from the pain of her loss. And although she was raised in the church and was a PK, “preacher’s kid”, the traditional church setting was not what was required to heal her heart. She desired something different to reach her weary and dying soul. When she could not find a place to meet her needs, she was inspired to create her own “Sanctuary.”  She converted a guest bedroom in her home into her prayer closet and many days she would retreat into this place to find the comfort and peace she desired. It was a place of refuge for her, where she could go beyond the veil to pray, find comfort and seek answers from God. In her “Sanctuary,” a true and meaningful relationship grew with her Almighty Father and she began to understand that all that she had experienced in her life was for a purpose and a calling higher than her, and from this “The Sanctuary” was birthed.
She began to have spa weekends in her home to share her recent enlightenment with her family and close friends and then she hosted Retreats in her home and at local facilities. Then on January 14, 2012, she met with three women in her home for one night of prayer. This was the first meeting of The Sanctuary. It then developed into weekly Friday Fellowship and Bible Study meetings.  The meetings begin to change lives and Yolanda was asked to travel to other states into the homes of others sharing this unconventional ministry of developing a deep and meaningful relationship with God this created, “The Sanctuary goes Mobile.”
The Sanctuary creates an intimate environment where you are free to express your story and be delivered from it so that you can be healed, inspired, and encouraged to live in your God-given purpose. It is an atmosphere where the Word of God is the focus and tools to apply practically to your life are the end result. We are meeting the needs of a “virtual” society. You can experience The Sanctuary either in person or virtually. To discover how you can join us, please visit Fellowship & Bible Study. There you will find all the details on how to join our life-transforming meetings.