“I am making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”
Isaiah 43:19
We’re
Good Trouble Church!
Good Trouble Church is a fellowship of people who are unhoused, formerly unhoused, people who are food and housing insecure, people who use drugs and people in recovery, people of faith, no faith, and different faith, those living with addiction, disability, or mental illness and those with lived experience, along with their friends and supporters in Station North, Baltimore.
Elders and youngers, LGBTQ+, nonbinary, and straight, we come together to hear and know that we are children of God. Centering the leadership and following the visions of those most directly impacted by structural racism and unjust systems, we walk together as we advocate for justice and dignity and care for our community.
We are here to honor and empower each other, and turn the world upside down so our beauty and truth can shine. Together, we create a sacred space where we can bless each other and heal as a people before God. We say that we are building something beautiful together.
Good Trouble Church's priorities are: organizing around community justice; reducing harm, increasing empowerment, & healing in community; continuing to co-create the affirming, inclusive space of spiritual sustenance, creative self-expression & worship at the Ynot Lot; leadership development in outreach and sharing food, clothing, meals, resources with neighbors; and running Red Shed Village, where four people find safer shelter and a robust supportive network.
Good Trouble Church is a ministry of the Delaware-Maryland Synod ELCA.
Our story
Good Trouble Church was founded by a group of unhoused and formerly unhoused folks who live or hang out around the YNot Lot in early 2020. Elazar Zavaletta (he/they), who is transgender, mestizo, and has lived experience of life-threatening addiction, began spending time there when their Bishop called them to be a street minister along North Avenue. A community quickly formed. Anneke “PeeWee” Corbitt (R.I.P.) and Nine Trillion, Sharonda Nutt and Black Face were important founding members. As the mission developer, Elazar’s role was to nurture and gather the community of leaders who live in our neighborhood, help bring form and structure to the visions that they have, and figure out how to support everything -- with funding and with people.
At GTC, we center the leadership and the visions of those most impacted by systemic oppression. At the center of our community is Family Life, a spiritual gathering that takes place Thursdays at 5pm. We've also worked together with other partners to create Farm to Stoop Free Market Wednesdays at 3pm. Little by little, GTC began to attract friends who come from more stability, who felt called to walk alongside, support, uplift, pray with, worship with, and get behind this community. GTC is the only new church start in the ELCA to come to life during the pandemic.
The Red Shed Village was a vision of those first GTC core leaders. Red Shed was founded by unhoused and formerly unhoused folks, working together with Pastor Elazar, and so many others who came together around that vision, like all the members of the Care team and other volunteers. Shepherd Sharonda Nutt, Guardian “Diddy” Dozier, Deacon “Blackface” Dubose, Runaway Kenny and Brenda Gibson are the founders of Red Shed Village, along with Guardian Nine and Shepherd PeeWee.
CreativeStrong
HolyHumorous
AudaciousHopeful
BeautifulBeloved
LGBTQ+Straight
EldersYoungers
AdvocatesLeaders
EvangelistsIntercessors
JusticeSeekers
ChildrenofGod
Our Values
LGBTQ+ Affirming
Full stop.
Racial Justice
We are committed to dismantling Whiteness.
Harm Reduction
We aim to meet each other where we are, avoiding judgment and acknowledging the significance of every positive change; we aim to be trauma-informed.
Community-led community-focused
We center the wisdom, creativity, and leadership of those most impacted by systemic oppression. The world is upside down. When we are together, we work to turn it right side up.
Collaborative and non-hierarchical
We are committed to dismantling patriarchy.
Love and Grace
Full stop.
Mutual Aid
We join in the acknowledgment that people are in crisis, people are suffering, due to unjust systems (Dean Spade, Mutual Aid). We invite, facilitate, and participate in multiple forms of community taking care of community.
Belovedness
The world can have its opinions. But we know who we are. We are children of God.
Transformative Justice
We are committed to learning practices, building skills, creating capacities that prevent, intervene, and reduce harm; transforming the spaces we inhabit to be equitable and just.
Faith Expansive
We have different experiences of God; faith, no faith, different faith. We are all family.
GTC Leaders
Anneke “PeeWee” Corbitt R.I.P.
Shepherd
Bee Conrad
Mutual Aid Lead
Brian “Black” Chapman
Evangelist
Black Face Dubose R.I.P.
Deacon
Ms. Bridgette Dorsey
Deacon
Ms. Candy Manning R.I.P.
Evangelist
Ms. Carrie McLean
Evangelist
Ms. Connie Lee
Shepherd
Ms. Daphne Green
Elder
Ronald Bailey
Elder
Frances Hunter
Evangelist
Alex Lanphear
Deacon
Sierra Cook
Shepherd
Diddy Dozier
Guardian
Gregory Frailey
Harm Reduction Lead
Hakeem Bailey
Deacon
Pooda
Guardian
Jill Schumann
Kim Ball
Deacon
Rev. Laura Sinche
Farm to Stoop Coordinator
Lauren “the President” Siegel
Social worker
Myke Richardson, Sr.
Shepherd
Geneva Parrish
Deacon
Minister Johnetta Jackson
Evangelist
Verna Marquez
Deacon
Doug Koerber
Strong Support
Nikia Allen
Shepherd
Nine Trillion
Counselor
Earl
Guardian
Cuz
Guardian
Nard
Guardian
Rayshawn Allen
Evangelist
Shay Jackson
Deacon
Keisha Bethea
Evangelist
Sharonda Nutt
Shepherd
Sonya Williams
Guardian
Ms. Vivian Dunbar
Evangelist
Ma Dee
Guardian
Advisors
Ashley Esposito (she/her)
Photography
The Rev. Dr. Debbie Little (she/her)
Founding priest, Common Cathedral & Ecclesia Ministries
We are blessed with amazing partners!
Healthcare for the Homeless, Samaritan Kitchen, Black Church Food Security Network, Church of the Redeemer Episcopal Church, Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Catonsville, St John's Lutheran Church in Sweet Air, Ynot Lot, We Keep Us Safe Collective, Joys Free Store, 4mycity, MOM’s Organic, Maryland Presbyterian Church, Divinity Lutheran Church, Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church, First Lutheran Ellicott City, Ascension Lutheran Church in Towson, Italian Cultural Center of Maryland, Bmore Power, B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Coalition, Lutheran Campus Ministry of Baltimore, Mayor’s Office for Homeless Services, Sisters Together and Reaching (S.T.A.R.), and every community member who has volunteered or donated or prayed for us!