Take our lives and let them be
Consecrated Lord to Thee.
Take our hands and let them move,
At the impulse of Thy love,
At the impulse of Thy love. - Havergal
Pastor Diane was blessed by being born into a Christian home and taught about Jesus. But she did not know Him until the age of about 10 years, when He introduced Himself to her at an altar of prayer, filling her heart with joy. At the age of 16 years, the Lord filled her with the gift of the Holy Spirit and a whole new life of service opened up. Married at the age of 20 years, after two years of college, to Jerry Mossbarger, they were blessed with opportunities to serve. The song by Frances Havergal quoted above was sung at their wedding. They served through music, he on the piano, she on the violin, Sunday School teaching, nursing home ministry, prison ministry, writing and in ways like cleaning the church so others would have a clean, orderly place to worship!
Through the years, the Lord sent along 8 beautiful children to their union 5 sons and 3 daughters. At one point, when Diane was praying for and longing for a wider scope of service, the Lord told her, Go home and take care of your husband and children! Thankfully, she obeyed! They have been married for 48 years (going on 49!) and currently have 9 grandchildren with another on the way.
The couple and six of their children moved to San Diego in 1984. In 1986, Jerry had a serious illness which lead to a need for a way to support the six children still at home. God opened a door, and at the age of 45, Diane entered Point Loma Nazarene [then] College to study music and languages to be a teacher (having a background in French and Spanish) but changed her major to nursing. She graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Nursing degree and worked in nursing in clinical and then case management settings for the next 12 years. Through God's healing touch, Jerry survived the illness, and was able to work again.
In 2000, after the youngest daughter went to college, they moved to Hemet, CA. There, about 2 years later, God's call on Diane's heart to preach became so insistent, she began to study for the ministry. In 2010 she was ordained as an elder. Meanwhile, she was on the pastoral staff in Hemet from about 2005 to the present.
In 2009, not being as busy as she thought she should be, she volunteered to preach anywhere a preacher was needed to fill in for a pastor during a vacation, or between pastors. In two weeks, the District Superintendant called asking if she would be willing to go to a tiny church in eastern California, whose pastor was retiring - just to scout it out. That was December, 2008 and she and Jerry are still ministering there. They go out there on Fridays and stay until after Sunday School and church on Sunday, then return to Hemet for the Sunday evening service. Pastor Diane is in the Hemet church office Monday, and Tuesday.
