Pastor. Engineer. Builder.
I'm Donnell Wyche—Senior Pastor at Ann Arbor Community Church, where I've served since 1999 and was ordained in 2004. I grew up in Washington, DC, earned my B.A. in Computer Science from The College of Wooster, and started my career as a Solution Architect at IBM before answering the call to full-time ministry.
For over 25 years, I've walked alongside congregants through hospital visits, grief, celebration, and everything in between. I've also built technology tools for ministry—including the online home of The Divine Hours with the late Phyllis Tickle. CareNote brings both worlds together: a pastor who understands the weight of caring for people, and an engineer who can build the tools to help carry that weight.
Beyond CareNote, I serve on the Ann Arbor Planning Commission, co-founded the Coalition for Re-envisioning Our Safety, and work on racial equity initiatives in Washtenaw County. I'm passionate about the intersection of faith, technology, and justice. My wife Maria and I are raising three kids who keep us grounded and remind us why this work matters.
The Seed is Planted
Denise, a pastoral care coordinator at a 15,000-member Catholic parish in Louisville, Kentucky, shared her vision: a centralized system to track referrals, document life events, and identify care trends. That conversation planted the seed for CareNote.
Development Begins
After years of pastoral ministry experience, I began building the first version of CareNote—combining my computer science background with 20+ years of caring for congregants.
Beta Release
Released the beta version of CareNote, allowing select pastoral care providers to test and provide crucial feedback on the platform.
First Paying Customer
Milestone achieved: Acquired the first paying customer, validating the need for CareNote in the pastoral care community.
Major Rewrite and Integrations
Completed a full rewrite of CareNote, integrating with Planning Center Online and Breeze Church Management System to enhance functionality and compatibility.
Widespread Adoption
CareNote becomes the trusted solution for 700+ churches, with care teams managing over 300,000 congregants across denominations worldwide.
What pastors actually need
After 25 years of pastoral ministry and countless conversations with care coordinators, I've learned that pastors need three things when it comes to caring for their people:
- Remember — Never forget who needs care and what's happening in their lives
- Stay Informed — Know what your team has done and what still needs attention
- Deliver Care — Ensure follow-through so no one falls through the cracks
That's what CareNote does. It's the tool I wish I'd had when I started ministry—and now it serves over 700 churches and 300,000 congregants worldwide.
Join the CareNote mission
Start your 14-day free trial or schedule a demo to see CareNote in action.