From Broadway to God's Purpose: Valencia Yearwood on Faith, Calling & Service | Lydia Series

What does it really mean to serve? In Part 1 of the Lydia Series, Racheal Fosu sits down with Valencia Yearwood—Broadway performer, producer, entrepreneur, and woman of faith—for a powerful conversation about purpose, leadership, ministry, and the journey from public success to private surrender. Valencia shares how her childhood church shaped her faith, the influence of her remarkable grandmother and visionary mother, finding Christ for herself in college, and how her husband unexpectedly led her into ministry. She also reflects on serving as a deaconess under civil rights leader Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, navigating church leadership, balancing a successful Broadway career with ministry, and why true leadership is rooted in humility rather than recognition. If you've ever wrestled with your calling, leadership, serving others, or balancing faith with your career, this conversation is for you. In this episode: • Growing up between New York and Tar Heel, North Carolina • The women who shaped Valencia's faith • Discovering a personal relationship with Christ • Broadway, entrepreneurship, and ministry • Serving as a deaconess under Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker • What church leadership teaches you about human nature • Why serving can become exhausting—and how to know when it's time to be fed again If this conversation encouraged you, don't forget to Like, Comment, Subscribe, and Share. 00:00 Why Being a Deacon Changed Everything 01:08 Welcome to the Lydia Series 02:10 Childhood Faith in Tar Heel, North Carolina 04:32 The Women Who Shaped Valencia's Faith 06:22 Lessons from Her Grandmother 09:03 Finding a Personal Relationship with God 10:32 Her Mother's Vision & Malcolm X 11:33 Meeting the Man She Would Marry 13:43 The Gospel Choir That Changed Her Life 15:17 When Faith Became Personal 16:03 Dance Theatre of Harlem & Marriage 18:09 Returning to God After Broadway 18:50 From Church Members to Deacons 20:34 Learning Under Dr. Wyatt T. Walker 21:15 Called to Ministry Through Dance 23:30 The Reality of Church Leadership 24:10 What Ministry Teaches About Human Nature 27:06 Navigating Conflict in Church 28:21 Balancing Broadway Success with Ministry 30:17 Staying Humble in the Spotlight 34:17 Knowing When It Was Time to Step Back 36:20 Why Every Leader Needs to Be Fed 36:47 Coming Up in Part 2