Rev. Diana Carrol Bush-Harris was born July 16, 1961, to the late Lester and Mary Lee Bush in South Bend, Indiana. Her family moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1965. Diana played basketball and volleyball during high school and graduated in 1978 from Wayne High School. After high school, Diana worked for many years at the Fort Wayne Police Department and a local radio station.
Diana professed a belief in Christ at an early age and began writing and performing music as a teenager. She wrote numerous songs for the family’s singing group, The Bush Ensemble. Diana served in leadership positions and as the minister of music at Abundant Love Church, Dupree Memorial COGIC, Cathedral of Praise Ministries, and the Summit Church of Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1999, Diana married the love of her life, JC Harris, and later she and her immediate family moved to Indianapolis, Indiana.
Diana chose to pursue and obtain her insurance license to sell life insurance and she also acquired a Series 63 financial certificate. She was very passion-ate about financial literacy, believing that insurance could leverage and change the trajectory of the next generation. She always said, “leave an inheritance for your children's children.”
Diana was multi-talented and had a heart for serving others. Some of her accomplishments include the release of her first CD in 2003 entitled “By My God” and launching a personal music solutions business in 2008 called “Synergy,” in which she provided tailor-made music solutions for varying occasions such as weddings, funerals, birthdays, and character education. Because of her internet presence with music and advertisement, Park Tudor and Oakridge Elementary School hired her for school programs to promote diversity, unity, and school spirit. Central Elementary School in Beech Grove requested music and a video presentation with positive images to help prepare their 3rd-graders for the I-Step Test. She called the project "Born to Succeed," defining it as a creative solution to minimizing the effects of test anxiety. Test results revealed that the students tested better than they had in 10 years!
In 2012, Diana graduated with a bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership and Supervision from Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis- IUPUI. Years later, she continued her education, earning a Master of Divinity in 2020 from CTS- Christian Theological Seminary.
Diana grew in ministry while completing her Student Pastor Apprenticeship under the leadership of Pastor Gale Stutz. The apprenticeship was a year program where she regularly taught, preached, and co-shepherded two churches-East Gate and Franklin Central Church. Immediately following graduation,
Diana began to pursue her career as a hospital chaplain. She underwent a year-long residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Vincent-Ascension. She then completed another year of advanced training at IU Specialty Training Fellowship at Methodist Hospital.
On September 11, 2022, Diana was ordained at Light of the World Christian Church under the leadership of Pastor Janae Pitts-Murdock. For ten years, she was a faithful member serving in various ministries such as the new members, prison, the vol choir, praise ensemble, praise team, yoga instructor, and grief-share ministries, and at one point was hired to work at the church administration office. Diana made lasting connections with Disciples of Christ members, churches, and leaders within the community and just about anyone that she met.
Diana transitioned from this life on January 9, 2023and will be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Mildred Lavonne Bush and Mary Ann Chapman. She leaves to cherish her memory, husband, JC Harris, and one son, Ronald Stevenson Jr., both of Indianapolis; sisters, Denise (Floyd) Newson of Indianapolis, IN, Minister Ida Marie DePree Bush and Darlene Bush, of Fort Wayne; brothers, Bishop Superintendent Lester A Bush Jr., Bishop Gary L Bush, Minister Bobby Bush of Fort Wayne and Terry Bush of Dallas, Texas; Special friends, Venus Martin, Clarise Morris, Monique Glaspie and a hosts of friends in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis; two spiritual daughters, Dr. Aisha Davis-Liechty and Dr. Brianna Finney; and a host of Godchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends
A visitation for Diana will be held Friday, January 20, 2023, from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Light Of The World Christian Church, 4646 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46228. A celebration of life will occur Friday, January 20, 2023, at 11:00 AM, 4646 N. Michigan Rd., Indianapolis, IN 46228. A visitation will occur Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Pilgrim Baptist Church Of Fort Wayne, 1331 Gay St, Fort Wayne, IN 46803. A celebration of life will occur Saturday, January 21, 2023, at 11:00 AM at Pilgrim Baptist Church Of Fort Wayne, 1331 Gay St, Fort Wayne, IN 46803.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.crownhill.org for the Bush-Harris family.
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