When Ron and Anita Morrison answered God’s call in 1995 to start a church in an underserved urban landscape on the southeast side of Cleveland, Ohio, they knew many of the challenges they’d face. The needs were great—particularly within the African American community—and there weren’t many programs in place to serve these needs.

At first, engaging others in this vision was an uphill battle, as volunteerism was not an active part of the community. But rather than being a deterrent to Ron and Anita, these challenges birthed a vision for transformation.

Reflecting on the early days of the church, Ron shared how his heart was burdened by the need for more African-American-led churches in Cleveland that emphasized both biblical teaching and practical application. “My heart was grieving that we didn’t have enough African American-led churches, not just in The Alliance, but in greater Cleveland, that were really devoted to solid biblical exposition and practical application in our area. That’s always been on my heart.”

From the start, the church’s name was intentional—Hope Alliance Bible Church. Ron and Anita wanted to ensure that people understood its identity. “We wanted ‘hope’ in the name. The Black community didn’t know who The Alliance was, so we wanted ‘Alliance’ in the name. And we definitely wanted people to know we were a Bible-teaching church.”

 

 

 

Discipleship at the Core

At the heart of Hope Alliance Bible Church is its discipleship model, which challenges attendees to be more than just spectators, but co-ministers. Every Sunday, the congregation repeats its motto together:

“We’re developing disciples who live and love like Jesus.”

More than just a phrase, this commitment has shaped the church’s intentional approach to discipleship. Pastor Ron described how they created discipleship materials and strategies, ensuring that every member is equipped to disciple others. “The goal was that the entire membership, at some point, would be able to walk somebody else through the discipleship material because, really, that’s our main agenda,” says Ron. “Jesus commissioned us to go and make disciples, and that’s what we’re going to do.”

 

 

 

 

As a result, the church has become known for its commitment to biblical truth and its deep investment in the community, a reputation built over years of consistent discipleship and ministry. This approach has birthed numerous ministries addressing real-life needs in the community, including afterschool programs, a single moms’ ministry, counseling for women considering abortion, divorce recovery and grief counseling, marriage and family ministries, and mentorships for young men facing fatherlessness. “Our men have really stepped up because there’s a huge percentage of absentee fathers,” notes Ron. “We’ve stepped into the role of being surrogate fathers to a lot of young men, really fleshing out the love of Christ in a lot of different ways.”

 

 

Expanding the Vision: A New Facility for a Growing Mission

As the church continues to grow, space has become a challenge. Anita expressed the urgent need for better facilities to accommodate the increasing number of children and ministry programs. “It was okay when we were smaller, but we’ve been growing and growing and growing,” she said. “We really need the extra space to have more effective teaching and afterschool programs with different places for people to go.”

The church’s new expansion project aims to double its current space, creating a one-floor worship facility that also serves as a community center, a dedicated educational space for all ages, and a recreational and banquet area to serve both church and community events.

Ron’s long-term dream is for Hope Alliance to be a church home where students can progress from kindergarten through graduate seminary studies—all within the same space. “My hope has always been that a child could walk into this building in kindergarten and still be walking in the same building, getting their graduate degree from seminary.” To keep up with the ever-expanding ministries of the church, Dr. Erin Bell, previously the church’s young adult ministries pastor, became Hope Alliance’s lead pastor in early 2024. Erin also serves as a core faculty member at Crown College, a continuing education instructor for Moody Bible Institute, area director of Young Life Cleveland Southeast, and president of Southeast Cleveland’s Alliance for Family Hope, where Ron also serves as executive director.

 

 

Reproducing Strong Leaders

Hope Alliance Bible Church has played a significant role in training and equipping new leaders. Ron, who also serves as President of The Alliance’s Association of African American Pastors, Consecrated Women, and Licensed Workers, as well as the Central District’s Urban Ministries Coach, has dedicated his life to equipping young African American men for ministry. “Over the years, I’ve just been committed to leadership development. It just seemed like younger African-American men in particular, who were under-fathered biologically and spiritually, gravitated to us. We’ve been able to release men to plant churches or take on pastoral roles, and God keeps sending others our way.”

As a regional coordinator for Moody Bible Institute and an adjunct professor at Crown College, Ron has played a key role in educating and mentoring leaders. The church has already planted three churches (with one in Texas!) and “recruited” two others into The Alliance—and others will likely follow. “We’re saying—especially with the closure of Alliance Theological Seminary—let’s become that urban training center where students can come, finish their graduate degrees, and have practical internships between all of our churches.”

 

 

A Future Built on Faith and Partnership

As the church embarks on its biggest expansion yet, it continues to lean on God’s provision and the support of its church family and partners, including Orchard Alliance, which will be providing a loan to help with the expansion. Ron expressed deep gratitude for Orchard, which helped finance the church’s first building when it was just 15 months old. “A local bank wouldn’t have given us a loan, but Orchard and the Central District stepped right in,” reflects Ron. “That’s why I go to Orchard first. I’m loyal.”

Today, Hope Alliance Bible Church is seeking additional partners to help bring its vision to completion. With a growing school, a thriving congregation, and a commitment to urban ministry, the church is poised to continue transforming lives for generations to come. “We need more support,” explain Ron and Anita. “We’re reaching out to those who have a heart for Christian education, community development, or just want to see an urban church thrive.”

As Hope Alliance Bible Church celebrates 30 years, its mission to develop disciples who live and love like Jesus remains unchanged. The foundation is strong, the vision is clear, and the future is bright.