Religious Education Association

Diane Joy Hymans died peacefully at Ohio-Living Westminster Thurber Retirement Community on October 28, 2022. A significant stroke in July, 2017 started her decline in health.

Diane was born on February 11, 1948, in Hull, Iowa, the daughter of Dowie James and Dorothy Jean Hymans. She spent her childhood years in Hull, a small, rural farming community in northwest Iowa. After graduating from Boyden-Hull High School in 1966 with honors, she attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in music education in 1970.

In 1972 she entered the Adventures in Missions (AIM) program of the Reformed Church in America, doing mission work at an inner-city church in New York City. There she developed her life-long interest in church ministry and Christian education. In 1975, she enrolled at the Presbyterian School for Christian Education (PSCE), where she received her Master’s Degree in Christian Education in 1977.

After first working as the Director of Christian Education at the First Presbyterian Church in Lexington, North Carolina and later in the same role at the Springhill Presbyterian Church in Mobile, Alabama, she concluded she would like to become more directly involved in the education of Christian educators. She returned to PSCE in 1985 where she received her Ed.D. in Christian Education in 1992.

In 1993, she accepted a faculty position at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus Ohio, eventually becoming Professor of Christian Education. In 1994, she became a member of the Broad Street Presbyterian Church. She quickly found Columbus to be her home.

She remained at the seminary until she retired in 2017. She served both the seminary and the ELCA in many leadership roles. Early in her career, she was the director of Trinity’s Center for Educational Ministry in the Parish (CEMP) and later served as the seminary’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. In her teaching role, she enjoyed time spent with students and the joy that came in seeing those she taught blossom into effective and active participants in Christian education.

Over 28 years, Diane served in a variety of roles at Broad Street Presbyterian Church, including elder, faithful 3rd grade Sunday school teacher, an originator of Pizza & Prose and on the Peru Crew.
With her outgoing personality, Diane developed a large group of close friends. She enjoyed traveling, movies, music, reading, shopping and cats. Family was also important to her, as she sought to maintain relationships not just with her brothers but with members of their families, as those families grew over the years. She enjoyed traveling with them and relished their time together.