About
Orchard NEO aims at raising up men passionate about reaching Northeast Ohio through local churches. We work alongside these planters to realize God’s vision for their role in this mission and train them to be as effective as possible. To accomplish our goal, we are committed to identifying, training, supporting, and deploying as many church planters as it takes to reach Northeast Ohio.
Our Team
Steve Hyatt
Steve grew up in Northeast Ohio and has a heart to see life change in communities because of the good news of Jesus Christ. Steve graduated from Wheaton College, worked in church ministry in the Chicago area, and completed his MDiv at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also worked as a church planter and team leader for seven years in the People’s Republic of China. Most recently, he taught language and culture at the middle school, high school, and college levels.
Richard White
Having spent the past ten years working towards the spiritual and practical development of local youth in Akron and Cleveland, Richard has a deep understanding of Northeast Ohio. He is excellent at connecting with people and uses his experience to bring hope to neighborhoods through church planting.
Anthony Pietrocini
Anthony is a true Northeast Ohioan living in the Shalersville-Mantua area for almost his entire life. He only resided outside of Northeast Ohio when he attended Wheaton College in Illinois. While there, Anthony graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Biblical and Theological Studies and a minor in Philosophy. When he is not working, Anthony is either reading, writing, or spending time with friends and loved ones — typically over a nice Italian meal! He is deeply passionate about seeing people find peace and truth in Christ and loves to help make that happen in any way he can.
Hallie Andrews
With a background in intercultural studies, philosophy, theology, and photography, Hallie is considered a jack of all trades around the office. She loves working behind the scenes and using her gifts to practically support the Orchard Team’s vision for church planting.
Our Heritage
Why Northeast Ohio?
A great movement for the kingdom has already begun in Northeast Ohio, but there is still much work to be done. Orchard NEO serves as the continuation of decades of missional work while also breathing new life into gospel efforts in Ohio. With over 4.4 million residents in the 20-county region of Northeast Ohio, the three cities of Cleveland, Akron, and Canton serve as the region’s cultural hubs, each contributing to the diverse makeup of people and cultures existing in Northeast Ohio. This diversity accentuates the need for local expressions of the Church, each aiming at a specific people in a specific place.
Northeast Ohio is home to the resources and relationships that the Orchard Team has formed over our combined years of experience. These connections help form the foundations for our church plants, giving them opportunities to connect to their communities in a meaningful way. We are passionate about this region to its core and aim to bring the gospel in a way specific to it.
Our Launched Church Plants
The Grove Community Church
Planted April 2022
“Our mission is to form true community in Christ by moving people from being strangers, to neighbors and friends. We hope people find a place here where they are known by others and guided to follow Jesus together.”
– Ray Byrne
Story Church
Planted October 2020
“We are a church made up of real people who are rooted in both the historic Christian faith and the community of Mayfield Heights. Our aim is to provide a church experience that is restful and accessible for the residents of this city.”
– Jeremy King
Wingfoot Church
Planted October 2020
“As a church, we’re all about one thing: renewing hope in the Heights in Jesus’ name. We’re defiantly hopeful for Goodyear Heights because it’s where we call home.”
– Jon Ashley