Christian fraternities and sororities
 

Do any of your campuses have Christian GLO's? I know that most GLO's were founded on Christian principles, but I have heard of certain orgs that are totally Christian in nature. This means most, if not all, members are involved in a Christian groups, NO alcohol, don't participate in formal rush, etc. How do they hold up on your campus, do they participate events like Greek Week, are they visible, what are they like overall? Thanks!

We have them... I've seen their meetings and I think I've even met a few of them. Nothing remarkable. They don't wear letters or anything. I think they're even co-ed.

What does not drinking have to do with being Christian anyhow?

LHT
Kevin

A friend of mine is in a Christian sorority, which is a local. In fact, she was one of their founders. I can ask her about it and see what info. I can get for you all.

The only Christian group that I know of (and they do not permit smoking or drinking) is the Mormon sorority and fraternity known as.....

Sorority-
Lambda Delta Sigma is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (LDS corresponds with Latter Day Saints, i.e. Mormons)

and their Fraternity counterpart-
Sigma Gamma Chi

These are found at campuses with a large Mormon student population. However, I was told once that the various Brigham Young University campuses do not permit fraternities and sororities, including the above ones. :confused:
However, there is a BYU with an LDS sorority chapter (in Hawaii) so maybe I have it wrong.

there is a christian fraternity that I know of. XA is at a few campuses and I think I saw they had a house at FSU....

At CU Boulder there is one sorority (Alpha Delta Chi) and one fraternity (Alpha Gamma Omega). The sorority does not do formal rush with the rest of us, but they do rush. AGO does do formal rush. They are social greek organizations. They even participate in greek week and other events. They are small, but close. They survive because people are interested in them, similarly to AEPhi, ZBT, and AEPi.

Some of the colleges I've been associated with have had local Christian sororities. Most don't last a long time; the problem seems to be that many of their members drive away PNMs by talking excessively about how Christian they are. I swear that I actually heard a member say, "And tonight I'm going out with my Christian friends to a Christian night club where we'll hear a Christian band." PNMs and others were also turned off by displays of smug self-righteousness on several occasions.

I know that we are commanded to go out and spread the Gospel but the Lord warned the Pharisees and Sadduccees about the self-righteous bit.

Oh yeah, the sorority isnt a local. Im not sure about the fraternity, but I dont think it is either.

At my last school they had a group called Alpha Omega but I don't think it is run like a glo. At the school I am at now they have Chi Alpha.

Anne Marie

At UCLA we had the same groups as at CU Boulder, Alpha Delta Chi and Alpha Gamma Omega. They did not really mix with the rest of the greek system very much. ADX didn't have a house but AGO did.

at the University of Arkansas the only one i could even think of was Chi Alpha. I found that out during first week at campus and through the BSU on campus.


LAura

long message....
 

Just before I finished college, I helped a bunch of ladies found a sorority. My local sorority, Kappa Delta Sigma is a Christian sorority. We tried to get recognized at Cal State Long Beach, but the Greek Affairs advisor totally gave us the brush off. She said that they (the university) didn't want to have any more new sororities on campus because we wouldn't have a national organization to support us. I tried to explain to her that we were a special interest sorority, and not trying to be an NPC, and she wouldn't have any of it.

So, after talking to her, I turned right around, walked next door and talked to the man who normally coordinates the NPHC and other "ethnic" GLOs. He understood right away and was completely supportive. He did, however, strongly encourage us to try and affiliate with a pre-existing Christian sorority. We did speak a bit with Alpha Delta Chi, but didn't think it was for us. Also, we received an extension packet from Phi Beta Chi, another Christian sorority. In the end, we felt that none of the available options was a good match for us.

So, we founded Kappa Delta Sigma. Yay kappadel! We're still not recognized at my university. :( Kappadel will be two years old this October, so we don't really have a traditional recruitment yet.

At any rate, we founded KDS with the intention of being a social sorority that happens to be Christian. (Does that make sense?) We also do NOT evangelize - that is, our activities do not include walking around campus with Bibles and stopping people as they walk to class.

We do NOT NOT NOT discriminate - that includes religion. Yes, one can be Hindu and be in KDS. That may not make sense, but hey, who are we to tell someone "No, don't learn about Jesus!" :)

Ok, so, one might say, "But lots of NPC sororities are Christian-based." To that we respond, they may be, but as non-members, we don't *really* know that. The ladies who founded KDS were of the opinion that, NPC and IFC groups are OK - no one was against participation in the current system.

However, their concern (from first-hand knowledge) was that there was more partying and inappropriate behavior going on than what anyone (in the greek system) wanted to admit to. (Anyone reading the fraternal news list has seen the news on at least one of our fraternities at CSULB :( ). That made some of the ladies feel uncomfortable - like they'd be really out of place.

They also mentioned how a couple of the current Bible study groups on campus were cool, but that they didn't feel like they could just hang-out like friends. So, they put two and two together and deciced that a Christian sorority would meet their needs.

Sooo...I hope that I've helped give some insight. I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone might have! :)

Oh yeah:

Kappa Delta Sigma
Motto: "One Heart, One Goal, One God"
Verse: Romans 15:5-6
Colors: Blue, Green, Golden Yellow
Mascot: Lion
Symbol: Gold heart
Jewel: Diamond
Flower: Sunflower
Philanthropy: Anything that helps others. :) Though, "Samaritans" is a group based out of San Diego that does work in Mexico. We support Samaritans because, not only can we raise money for them, we can do a lot of very meaningful hands-on work as well.

......Kelly :)

On my campus, there is one NPC sorority that is known as the "christian sorority". When that specific GLO came to campus to recruit new members into beginging a colony, a lot of Intervarsity (IV) women were chosen. They pride themselves on being the Christian Sorority on campus.
However, they have lots of problems. Because they are a national NPC Organization, they must participate in formal recruitment. And while most of the Houses on my campus are at least 100+ members, they are stuggling just to make total at 55. Apparently during the recruitment process, they stress that they are the Christian Group on campus and read versus from the Bible at each round. While the other GLO's are doing skits, singing songs, and showing slide shows.
My grandlil' told me that when she rushed that house they told her that "Jesus would lead her to the right place for her"...considering she is Jewish...that didn't go over all that well.

At TX A&M there are:

Phi Beta Lambda Sorority: (Phi-Lamb) large, local organization specifically worship-oriented, but lots of social activities

Beta Upsilon Chi Fraternity: (BYX) large, local, specifically worship-oriented, lots of social activities

Aggie Men's Club: (AMC) greek-without-letters-type of org., considered rather elitist, very Christian-based, mix with panhellenic sororities fairly often

Sigma Phi Lambda (Sisters for the Lord)- very large (275+), VERY worhsip oriented, non-exclusive, local

Phi Beta Chi Sorority: (Beta Chi) small (50 members or less), Lutheran Church-affiliated, national org., touted as a Christian (emphasizing)"SOCIAL" sorority, VERY preachy, VERY conflicted (say one thing-do another), bad experiences with these girls......

Kappa Phi Club- Methodist Church-affiliated, small (less than 30) national

Chi Alpha?
 

All the flyers I've seen about Chi Alpha have said that it is *not* a fraternity or sorority. My campus has a chapter and they don't do rush or have a philanthropy or anything like that.

!!!!
 

Are their nationals not keeping an eye on them, considering they are so new? Aren't they having cows about the recruitment methods??

One of our chapter sisters was an atheist (actually I think she was closer to agnostic, but whatever) and she had a somewhat abrasive (but in an amusing way) personality. I can just imagine if she would have had someone at rush tell her that Jesus would lead her to the right sorority.

I don't really know what their nationals has done about it at all. I've graduated, and when I left, they were still at less than total and were having a rough time getting people to mix with them. They also only got 17 girls during recruitment, while everyone else got about 43. I don't know what their nationals can do about it at this point.

Yes, Chi Alpha is a club, not a Greek fraternity or sorority, despite the name.

There is a national Lutheran fraternity, Beta Sigma Psi.

Alpha Omega
 

One of my friends at Winthrop University is in Alpha Omega, which also allows you to be in another Greek org. She is also a Delta Zeta.

We have Phi Beta Chi at Purdue and it is a Lutheran based sorority as someone mentioned earlier. But, unlike her, I haven't had many bad experiences with them.

At Purdue, they have a small house that 4 girls live in. They hold their chapter meetings at a local church. I have met some of them and they seemed pretty nice.

They did, however, try to get me not to go through formal rush unless I wanted to "sell myself based on nothing but looks." Their Rush Chair also told me that all of the other 21 sororities on campus were "fake."

The girls themselves are nice people, just not very open-minded and definitely not a big part of the Greek System whatsoever.

We Have One
 

At GSU we have a Christian sorority called Elogeme Adolphi. One of my old roommates is a member. They're pretty quiet but are at a fairly large size, the last I heard. The GSU community has yet to see them come out and do anything, though.

It's a shame they feel that way, but it's my experience there's a chapter like that on every campus - and usually it's not a religious one. You know, "WE'RE the chapter that's different, WE stand for what fraternities and sororites are REALLY about, we won't pick you based on looks, we are above all that, we won't make you hang out with stupid frats..." And usually, they're the smallest chapter, because girls don't want to join the chapter that thinks the rest of the Greek system is crappy! They want to be part of the system.

Anyway, kind of a digression, sorry.

FuzzieAlum, did you ever hit the nail on the head, especially when you mentioned that it's usually not a large sorority! I never thought about it before but you're right--there is one like that at most schools!

Christian Houses
 

Is it just me, or do those groups who trumpet most loudly how they are "Christian" seem very un-Christian in their attitude, their approach, and their appaling conviction of smug superiority? I am reminded of the Parable of the Pharasee and the Publican. As I recall, one thing the Lord was not too keen on was hypocracy and these outfits seem to fit that description. On my campus we had a couple of groups who were very vocal in their observance of the trappings of their Christianity, but were highly judgemental and narrowly disapproving of anyone and any organization not conforming to their view of "Christianity". I grew up believing that the message of Christ was reconcilliation, forgiveness, inclusiveness, and redemption, not smug conviction of one's own rightness, which I believe was referred to as the deadly sin of presumption.

Amen! (pun very much intended)

I beleive, that most Greek Social Organizations are founded on the Christian or Other Religious Ideals.

It is amazing though how many still have Hazing?

I know that LXA if you look at the Coat of Arms, have the Cross and the Cresent on it!

SX, a cross, KS a Cresent, just to give you an idea!

I dont know what the Rituals are of any other Organizations are but I would guess that they are founded on Strong Religious Beleifs.

Whether thye Be Christian or Jewish Faiths!

This is important to remember as this shows many Parents that we are not Heathens with Satanic ideals.

Religion when most of the Greek Orgs. were founded were a very strong force for them!

so does anyone else have a national social glo that says they are the "christian Sorority" besides me?

Common factors of Christian GLOs
 

Having done intense Internet research on the subject, I have found four common denominators that separates Christian GLOs from "Christian principle-centered" GLOs:

1. Christian GLOs names and coats of arms are public knowledge and have a Biblical basis in symbolism

2. Christian GLOs are founded on Biblical scripture(s), as opposed to Christian principles

3. Christian GLOs tend to be more open about aspects of their organizations that other organizations tend to keep secret.

4. Christian GLOs central focus is on Jesus Christ and their works is to primarily glorify Him. While this would not necessariliy bar people from other religions from joining these orgs, nor would these orgs blatently discriminate, the Christian GLO members' strong convictions on Jesus Christ and His teachings would probably make the non-Christian prospectives either uncomfortable or would convert him/her to the Christian faith.

Hope this helps

RM

I think western kentucky univ has a chapter of Alpha Omega. I don't really distinguish the Christian groups from one another because they seem to be one in the same...bsu, campus crusaders for christ, alpha omega... they are all active organizations, but the crusaders participate in intermurals...they play dirty, talk the most trash, and ask you to pray with them after the game.

We have 2 GLO for Christian Fraternity/Sorority under IFC and Pan-Hel: Beta Sigma Psi (under NIC) and Phi Beta Chi.

Also we have Chi Alpha, but I don't think they liked to be called a GLO. More like, a club.

Oh, and they are Lutheran fraternities

I was just reading through old threads and I'm disheartened to see my sorority displayed in such a negative and false light. I'm in the chapter that MaggieAXiD is talking about being the "Christian" sorority, and I was one of the 17 women who joined AXO that year. The reason we had such a hard time recruiting is that Alpha Chi just came to campus that fall and were the only sorority without a house. Also, they were brand new, and a lot of girls wanted houses with local traditions. And all the talk about Alpha Chi talking about God and Jesus all the time is completely false. Only two of the new members that year were members of IV (the Christian org. on campus), and nothing in recruitment is religious at all. If anyone did say anything about religion, it was just one person. No one I talked to ever heard anything like that.

Sorry, I know a lot of this is irrelevant, but I just hate to see my chapter talked about when the claims are false! Alpha Chi has done so well at Elon, COBing up to quota in 2002 and getting quota plus during formal recruitment in 2003. We've won Homecoming and Pumpkinfest.

So I guess the moral of the story is don't talk bad about other organizations... how about a little Panhellenic spirit here?

:::off my soapbox:::

My sister is a charter member of Phi Beta Chi at Iowa State. I think it has changed since she was there (but don't all GLOS). The girls are nice, usually quiet and usually very involved with the church, but being Lutheran is not a requisite (nor is being Christian, but I'd think for the comfortablity factor, it helps). It is a small group, they don't have a chapter house and have their own informal recruitment but they do participate in all Greek events (Homecoming, VEISHEA, Greek Week, etc) usually paired with another sorority. All their ritual is open and my sister coudn't quite understand why our other sister and myself couldn't share ours (well, she could, she just wanted to get us to tell her.)

Maybe this is because that Not All Fraternity/Soroity are founded upon Christen Ideals of what ever. A lot has changed over the Years, Triangle, KGR or what ever! Remember the White or Black Clauses back when!:confused:

Were there Greek Organizations that evolved because of certain times and situations, of course, but what if a Totally Not integrated Greek Organization are available Today? I am talking of Course National Organizatiosn of today, not a local.

Yes, there is a big Difference.

My Sorority was founded as a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian Sorority and we were the first and the first at my school. All the sororites and fraternities say they are Christian because it is a Christian school but few uphold the standards. In my sorority, there is no drinking or smoking allowed. If anydoes go to a bar or a party they are to never wear their letters.

Baylor has 2 frats (Phi Kappa Chi and Beta Upsilon Chi) and two sororities (Sigma Phi Lambda and Kappa Chi Alpha). Phi Kappa Chi does rush around the same time as IFC but it's seperate. BUCs do a seperate rush. KXA and Phi Lamb both have their own seperate rushes. Phi Lamb I believe was started at UT and have 5 or 6 chapter over the state of Texas. I also believe you can be in a NPC sorority AND Phi Lamb where as you can't do that with KXA. Being that Baylor is a Christian university, these groups tend to do pretty well.

We have an all Christian Fraternity -- BYX (Brothers Under Christ) and then an all Christian Sorority - HIS (He is sufficient)
They are small... and local... though BYX is apparently expanding. I don't know much about them myself.

At Elon we have a non-NPC sorority, Sigma Alpha Omega. They have recruitment fall and spring, but not with NPC. Members of SAO can also be members of NPC sororities. They are small but very active. I think there are 5 chapters of SAO around VA and NC.

i'm writing in response to the post about the elon NPC sorority that was deemed the "christian sorority." alpha chi omega is not a christian sorority, but we do have one on elon's campus, it is sigma alpha omega. they do not participate in NPC recruitment, while alpha chi omega does participate. alpha chi omega does not punish their members for participating in religious activities, in fact, they support it. we do not read bible verses in our rounds of recruitment, however, some sisters are very religious. some of our founding sisters are jewish, and obviously they wouldn't be here if we were a christian sorority.
also, as i was a founding sister, i can verify that we were not struggling to maintain 55 sisters. we founded with 87 sisters in the fall of 2001, and yes, we did have a difficult year with recruitment, but we COB'd and we made quota by the next fall. the next year we had an awesome recruitment and we got amazing women...and met quota plus...
before you post anything about other organizations please make sure you have the correct facts, because it hurts us to see our organization portrayed in such a negative light. seeing as how we are both from elon, you should understand that NPC is trying to attain panhellenic spirit amongst all of the GLO's.

ALong the lines of Xylochick and elonlinds (2 outstanding members of my chapter, one of whom is my big :) ), i would like to reiterate the complete lack of fact that is surrounding our stereotype as a "christian" sorority. yes, we have girls that attend christian fellowship and are actively religious, but in no way does this mean that we consider ourselves the "christian" sorority. that title, for those of you who are unaware, is held by sigma alpha omega (see above posts). to go along with what both of my sisters have said concerning this topic, i think there is much to be considered before labeling us as the christian sorority. p.s. yes we founded with 87 sisters, and i am a proud member of last year's new member class which made well over quota. which is more than can be said for other, unnamed organizations on our campus. i could go on and on about various aspects of other orgs., some of which aren't nearly as endearing as being "christian", but since i wish to keep the panhellenic spirit, i won't be doing that.

thanks and have a great night. and to the iota psi girls here: WFR