By Stacy Rivers // Relationships // EEW Magazine Online

The longtime Christian couple who share four children—two sons and two daughters ages 16-23— is inspiring others through their lasting marriage despite Dianna Hobbs’ multiple bouts with serious illness.

It’s a Silver Anniversary celebration!

Kenya and Dianna Hobbs, pastor and first lady of City Church Buffalo, received thousands of congratulatory messages on social media marking their exciting marriage milestone.

The power couple, who celebrated quietly with a private dinner at home Tuesday, says they have “fallen deeper in love throughout the years.” The two opened up to EEW Magazine Online about the keys to their successful 25-year union through the hardship of chronic illness.

"It’s all about keeping God at the center, praying, communicating with each other, and being intentionally kind,” said Dianna, the 46-year-old award-winning nonprofit leader who has battled health challenges since age 21. “These things are the bedrock of a solid marital relationship.”

“Honoring vows I made to my wife before God and a church full of witnesses is so important to me,” said Kenya, a 50-year-old university vice president and nonprofit COO. “I remember that over two decades ago, I promised Dianna and the Lord to honor, respect, and love her right, and I intend to do just that—whatever her health status.”

Kenya’s oath to remain faithful “in sickness and in health” has been tested to the max. Most recently, in 2019, Dianna, an international women’s empowerment leader, had an allergic reaction to an antibiotic which caused multiple seizures. After her stint in the intensive care unit was over, she learned that she had sustained a traumatic brain injury. The TBI altered her personality, limited her cognitive abilities, and wiped out cherished memories the couple once shared.

When questioned about how he stood beside Dianna during seasons of sickness and now brain trauma, Kenya told EEW, “Watching Dianna, the love of my life, go through serious illness has always been difficult, but loving her through it has always been easy. Instead of focusing on the sickness or brain trauma, which I can’t control, I concentrate on what I can control which is how I show up for her, support her, and give her hope in situations that feel hopeless.”

Kenya believes that “hope is powerful and can help your loved one heal.” However, he said, the “spouse must first be fully committed to the relationship and not look for an out” when times get rough.

“Giving up, leaving, or failing were never options for me. I blocked out any of those thoughts,” said Kenya. “Also, I didn’t make her difficult situation about me and my wants or needs. She was the one going through it. She was in pain. She had it the worst. So, I wanted to do whatever I could to make what felt unbearable to her feel a bit more bearable every day. And by being there for her, we grew stronger, not weaker, closer and not further apart through adversity.”

In a recent interview with TODAY, Susan McDaniel, a family psychologist and psychiatry professor at the University of Rochester in New York, said of serious illness, “Certainly, it brings some couples together. There’s a certain kind of intimacy in having to face something real serious.”

She added, “For couples where there’s already significant difficulties that haven’t been resolved, and if the illness hits at some of that, then it’s really hard.”

The Hobbs’ happiness despite the really hard things is an inspiration to their supporters who see them as a positive example of love, commitment, and faithful devotion.

In a touching tribute to Kenya posted on her official Facebook page, Dianna shared sweet anniversary photographs taken by the couple’s youngest daughter, Kaiah, 20, and a video captured by their youngest son, Kaleb, 16.

Dianna wrote in a caption, “There’s no one else I’d rather do life with than this guy who makes me feel like the most special and beautiful girl in the world.”

Kenya and Dianna wed on Saturday, January 17, 1998, at St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo, NY. Since that time, they have used their influence and resources to bring positive change to the lives of those in need.

They were named “Family of the Year” by their city’s mayor, Byron W. Brown, for being positive influences and beacons of hope in their community.