The Collective
We seek not to be an organization or a corporation but an interconnected (and interdependent!) collective yearning for God's Kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven, and called to particular ministry and outreach around LGBTQ issues. As such, we see ourselves as an inclusive group and invite any who resonate with our mission to identify as “part of the Sanctuary Collective.” We also recognize that different individuals may desire varying levels of commitment and engagement with Sanctuary Collective. We've developed the following groupings to help folks make sense of their roles within the Sanctuary Collective.
Leadership Team | Support Team | Prayer Team | NYC Community | Discipleship Program
NYC Community
Members of the NYC community are some of the folks who regularly support Sanctuary Collective by coming out for our weekly Community Nights.
Visit the project page for more information.
Casey Chandler-Alexander
Brooklyn, NY
Donor, NYC Community
Casey is passionate about children with special needs, and is a teacher for 3 year olds with autism. She supports Sanctuary Collective because so many people feel like they can’t keep their LGBTQ identity and religious and spiritual identities at the same time, and she wants to work to make that change. Some of her greatest contributions are the unwavering and unconditional support she offers to Micah, and her willingness to allow Sanctuary Collective to operate out of their apartment for the time being.
L. Maxx Andreas
New York, NY
NYC Community, Support Team
Leo has been a friend of Sanctuary Collective from the beginning. He began participating before anything was formalized and lends his help in all areas—organizing volunteers, spreading the word, and even helping to cut and collate. His candor and humor are infectious and invaluable for the work of LGBTQ organizing. He has served as a peer-educator and is currently studying to be an EMT.
Marc Manera
New York, NY
NYC Community
Marc was raised in Barcelona and moved to NYC after finishing his PhD on cosmology. He likes science and works at a university. He had been involved many years in scouting. He is intersted in theology and had collaborated with Christian organizations and groups that support LGBT people. Once in New York he found Sanctuary Collective to be an awesome place to continue building the Kingdom of God.
Peter Macari
New York, NY
Donor, NYC Community
Peter is a graduate of Eastern University, a small baptist school in St. David’s, PA. He is a steadfast supporter of Brian, Micah, and Matthew and readily got behind Sanctuary Collective as the first monthly donor. He works in entertainment marketing, lives in the Lower East Side; sings in two choirs; is a member of Front Runners New York, an LGBT running group; and attends Marble Collegiate Church.
Sam Crowell
Bronx, NY
Discipleship Program, NYC Community
Sam recently moved from Kansas and his walk in faith has seen changes after living in a new environment. Through life’s twists and turns he believes that God provides too much beauty in the world to give up. Sam lives a life full of optimistic values, and tries to share them through his involvement with Marble Collegiate Church, previous involvement with Young Life, and the family and friends that he holds close. Being an ally to the LGBTQ community has been one of the most meaningful aspects of his Christian journey, and feels blessed to have had the chance to meet and befriend those involved with Sanctuary Collective.
Zakariah Rittenhouse
Brooklyn, NY
NYC Community
Zak is a recent transplant to New York from Ohio after participating in the 2008 Equality Ride. He currently works at Green Chimneys as a unit supervisor for a transitional living program for homeless and runaway queer youth. He sees the work that he does with homeless queer youth and the work he does for Sanctuary Collective as going hand in hand in addressing a larger problem, since religion is the number one reason why most of his youth are in the program. He hopes that one day that the work he does with Sanctuary Collective will work him out of a job, through right now he is enjoying the work he does. He’s a regular at the Sanctuary Collective house, a close friend, and loyal supporter.