Sigma Theta Epsilon

Infobox Fraternity
letters=ΣΘΕ
name=Sigma Theta Epsilon
colors=White, Gold, and Purple
flower=
symbol=
motto=Συνεργοι Θεου Εσμεν -"Fellow Workers with God"
crest=
founded=1925
birthplace=University of Nebraska
type=Christian
scope=National
address=
city=
state=Ohio
country=USA
chapters=12 in WV, OH, TX, IL, OK, MO
homepage=http://www.sigmatheta.org
free_label=Verse
free=1 Corinthians 3:9 "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

Sigma Theta Epsilon is an interdenominational national Christian fraternal organization. It is the oldest Christian Fraternity in the United States, tracing its history (through a series of name changes and mergers) to its founding in 1925 at Lincoln, Nebraska. Currently with eleven chapters, it is the second largest Christian Fraternity in the country.

Philosophy

:"Appreciating the need for a closer Christian fellowship among college and university men, and believing that a fraternal organization can stimulate such fellowship, and believing that college and university men, if so organized, can have a much more effective influence on the life and leadership of the church and the world, we unite ourselves as Sigma Theta Epsilon, National Christian Fraternity."

The Three Program Areas

• Religious
• Service
• Social

The Four-Fold Purpose

I. To extend our service projects through programs of action to meet unfilled human needs.
II. To attempt with the guidance of God to live Christian lives of faith and service.
III. To provide social activities through service and Brotherhood.
IV. To provide a background for understanding ourselves, our faith, and our world.

The Five Principles

• We Seek Fellowship: We seek the joys and blessings of intimate comradeship with its power to encourage, to give and to receive. We seek the deep personal discussions, the wholesome and relevant social activities, the cheerful, the honest, unswerving loyalty of friendship.
• We Seek to Serve: We seek to give to the world talents given to us. We seek to give our brotherhood a more complete understanding of the arts of living and to develop their talents in order that they may enjoy the more abundant life. We seek to serve as workers in any worthwhile project, having for its purpose to serve as disciples of our Lord.
• We Seek Faith: We seek in our hearts and souls that faith in God, His manner of working and His love, that nothing can dispel. We endeavor to build a faith in humanity and eventual victory of the right.
• We Seek Reverence: We seek that constant acknowledgement of God as the motivating power in our lives. We try to exemplify in our every word and action the respect we hold for the pure love of our Creator, friendship and worthy deeds.
• We Seek Love: We seek that spirit which is God within us. We seek to attune our lives in order that His love and mercy may find expression through us. As God is love within us, coordinating our every effort and motivating our every action, so the love of God through Christ is the cornerstone of our fraternity, completing and giving purposefullife to our Brotherhood.

tatement of Faith

Section 1: PreambleAppreciating the need for a statement of faith, and believing that such a statement canstimulate and develop our Christian Brotherhood, and believing that such a statement canpromote tolerance, mutual respect, and cooperation amongst Christian denominations andorganizations, we assert our faith and beliefs as Sigma Theta Epsilon, National ChristianFraternity, Incorporated.

Our Christian Brotherhood honors and recognizes the faiths and practices of Christiandenominations, as we base this statement of faith in the philosophy of "In Essentials,Unity. In Non-Essentials, Liberty. In All Things, Love." The use of this statement offaith is not for a molding process, nor as a replacement for individual affirmations offaith. It is for advancement of community, discussion, training and refinement among theChristian men who populate our Brotherhood.

Section 2: Articles of Faith

I. WE BELIEVE that the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament, is the inspiredWord of God and without error in its original writing. God has given us no greaterauthority than the Bible in the areas of Faith and Practice.

II. WE BELIEVE in one completely holy and sovereign God, creator and sustainer of theheavens and the earth, who is perfect, all-knowing, all-powerful, and eternally co-existentas God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

III. WE BELIEVE that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and that he was both fully God andfully man. He was born free of sin to a virgin and lived a holy life without sin. He wascrucified, died and was buried. On the third day, He rose from the dead, appeared tomany witnesses and ascended into heaven to the right hand of God from where He willcome again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

IV. WE BELIEVE that all have sinned and continue to sin; therefore every persondeserves to spend eternity separated from God in conscious eternal punishment (Hell).However, people may be forgiven of their sins and receive eternal life in heaven byconfessing that Jesus Christ is their Lord and believing in their heart that He died androse again. Salvation can not be obtained by man because of any human work, butinstead, entirely because of the grace of God. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life;no one comes to the Father but through Him.

V. WE BELIEVE that God gave the Holy Spirit to dwell in those who belong to JesusChrist so that they might be conformed to His likeness and continually set apart inholiness (sanctified) until Jesus Christ returns.

VI. WE BELIEVE that the Church is composed of all true believers, with Jesus Christ asthe Head. We believe that its members should assemble themselves together regularlywith the local Church for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching and to serve one anotherwith the purpose of glorifying God. We believe that each believer is called to a life offaith demonstrated by obedience to God and His Word, the Bible; furthermore, Hedesires for us to stir up one another to love and good works, encouraging each other inobedience to Jesus Christ.

Section 3: Scriptural Backing

Article I:Luke 21:33, 24:44; Romans 15:4; Matthew 5:18; Hebrews 4:12; II Timothy 3:15-17; I Peter 1:25, II Peter 1:19-21

Article II:John 1:2; Colossians 1:16-17; Isaiah 40:28; Numbers 14:18; Romans 1:20; Psalm 139

Article III:1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 1 Peter 1:3-4; Hebrews 10:12; Acts 4:10, 10:42, 13:29; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; Colossians 1:15-20; John 1:1-5; Hebrews 1:3

Article IV:Luke 24:47; Acts 10:43; Romans 5:12; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 4:12; Hebrews 5:9; 1 John 5:12

Article V:Acts 4:12; Romans 8:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; Romans 5:5; Hebrews 10:15; 1 Corinthians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 2:14

Article VI:Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23; Acts 2:42; Galatians 6:2, 10;Hebrews 10:24-25

Background

Origin of the Name

The name "Sigma Theta Epsilon" finds its roots in the Greek words, "Sunergoi Theou Esman", meaning "Fellow Workers with God". This is taken from I Corinthians 3:9, and should be a constant reminder of our duty as a Christian Brotherhood.

History

A group of Methodist men in the Wesley Foundation at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota, had been carrying on a program as a religious fraternity, which they called Phi Lambda Phi, for some time when it occurred to them that perhaps the men in other Wesley Foundations had similar groups which could be mutually helpful if they should form a union. The idea was brought up at the student council retreat at Ames, Iowa, in 1924 and 1925. They sent an invitation to all Wesley Foundation units asking those interested to send representatives to an organizational meeting. This meeting was held at Lincoln, Nebraska on February 6-7, 1925. The delegates drew up articles of federation and elected National Officers, thus a National Religious Fraternity for Methodist Men became known as Phi Tau Theta (meaning "Friends of God").

On October 8, 1936, another group of Christian men met and started a fraternity. The meeting was held at Indiana University, and Sigma Epsilon Theta was formed.

In 1939, a delegation of Phi Tau Theta approached the National Officers of Sigma Epsilon Theta and proposed a merger of the two National Fraternities. During Thanksgiving break, 1941, Delta Sigma Theta was formed. The transition from two fraternities to one was smooth, largely due to careful preparation by the officers.

When all seemed to be going well, Delta Sigma Theta (a sorority) threatened suit against the fraternity for use of their name. The name "Sigma Theta Epsilon" was selected during Easter break 1949.

Inactivity of the chapters (high in number - low in spirit) persuaded the National Conclave of 1968 to appoint a committee to examine the philosophy of the fraternity. The committee suggested that the fraternity change from a National Religious Fraternity for Methodist Men. This change saw a decrease in enrollment due to decreased support by the Wesley Foundation. The National Cabinet Meeting of 1972 realized that Sigma Theta Epsilon had evolved into a National Christian Service Fraternity, and thus adopted purposes centered on three main areas: religious, service , and social. These purposes were revised at the Conclave of 1975 into the four Purposes of Sigma Theta Epsilon we have today.

An all-time low was reached in 1975 with only two active chapters: Alpha Gamma at West Virginia Wesleyan College and newly formed Epsilon Chapter at Ohio Northern University. The following years almost saw the dissolving of Sigma Theta Epsilon as a National Fraternity. The addition of Delta Chapter at Mount Union College in April 1980 stimulated new optimism and growth for the fraternity.

In 1988 Sigma Theta Epsilon struggled again through some growing pains. Delta Chapter had all but disappeared while Alpha Gamma Chapter's numbers began to fall. But 1988 also saw the start of the Beta Alpha Chapter in Oklahoma City. This new chapter grew rapidly, and soon joined Epsilon Chapter as the fraternity's largest.

Beta Alpha's designation marked what was hoped to be a re-birth for the fraternity, and all chapters from this point on would be named in succession following Beta Alpha.

This excitement carried into Spring 1993, when Beta Beta Chapter at Miami University of Ohio was formed. An excited group of men gathered together and quickly grew to be as solid as any chapter. In the fall of 1993, Delta Chapter put together its first Pledge Class in almost five years. Led by an alumnus of Epsilon Chapter, who had been teaching at Mount Union College, these men revived the Delta Chapter just weeks before the National Fraternity was to absorb their charter and assets.

The fraternity didn't see National Growth again until 1998, when on January 31, the Beta Gamma Chapter was initiated at the University of Cincinnati. Thus began a substantial period of National Growth that continues today.

Spring Conclave 1999 saw the formal initiation of a group of men from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas as Beta Delta Chapter. This group of men would mark themselves as one of the most active chapters in the Nation.

At the 2000 Spring Conclave, a group of men from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois pledged as a temporary club. These same men were formally initiated as Beta Epsilon Chapter at The English Chapel at Ohio Northern University during the East Regional Fall Gathering on October 21, 2000.

At the West Regional Fall Gathering at Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a group of men from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma were formally initiated as the Beta Zeta Chapter on October 26, 2002. Their road to establishing a chapter was a rocky one to say the least, but their persistence prevailed.

On April 5, 2003, the Beta Eta Chapter was formally initiated at Spring Conclave in St. Louis, Missouri. These men from West Virginia University were blessed to have pledged under the supervision of the sitting National President, Chad Burdette, while he was completing graduate studies there.

The recent addition of the Beta Iota Chapter brings the number of chapters nationally to eleven. This is the highest number seen since the 1960s. The current period of growth continues to look promising, as reports of groups interested in forming chapters at their own schools continue to surface.

Chapters

Active Chapters

[http://alphagamma.sigmatheta.org Alpha Gamma] , West Virginia Wesleyan College
[http://delta.sigmatheta.org Delta] , Mount Union College
[http://epsilon.sigmatheta.org Epsilon] , Ohio Northern University
[http://betabeta.sigmatheta.org Beta Beta] , Miami University
[http://www.ste-uc.org Beta Gamma] , University of Cincinnati
Beta Delta, Our Lady of the Lake University
[http://betaepsilon.sigmatheta.org Beta Epsilon] , Bradley University
Beta Zeta, Northeastern State University
Beta Eta, West Virginia University
Beta Theta, Ohio University
Beta Kappa, Missouri Valley College

Inactive Chapters

Alpha, Iowa State University, 1925-67
Beta, University of Nebraska, 1925-65
Gamma, University of South Dakota, 1925-60
Delta, University of Minnesota, 1925-51
Epsilon, University of Iowa, 1927-41
Zeta, University of California, Berkeley, 1928-31
Eta, University of Northern Iowa, 1929-62, 1966-71
Theta, Ohio University 1931-43, 1945-72
Iota, University of Wyoming, 1931-34
Kappa, Ohio State University, 1934-68
Lambda, Kansas State University, 1936-43, 1952-65
Mu, West Virginia University, 1938-1970
Nu, Oklahoma State University, 1939-71
Xi, Indiana University, 1936-57
Omicron, Miami University, 1937-62
Pi, Bowling Green State University, 1937-42, 1952-58, 1960-62
Rho, Fort Hays State University, 1948-59
Sigma, Kent State University, 1948-71
Tau, University of Oklahoma, 1949-68
Upsilon, University of Nebraska at Kearney , 1950-53
Phi, University of Michigan, 1950-53
Epsilon (2), Oklahoma City University, 1950-54
Zeta (2), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 1952-54,
Chi, Pittsburg State University , 1952-53, 1960-68
Iota (2), University of Iowa, 1954-60
Psi, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, 1955-57
Alpha Alpha, Michigan State University, 1956-62
Alpha Beta, Western Michigan University, 1956-74
Alpha Delta, Pennsylvania State University, 1958-65, 1967-70
Alpha Epsilon, American University, 1960-69
Alpha Zeta, Central Michigan University, 1961-63, 1966-71
Gamma (2), Mansfield University, 1967-71
Beta (2), Lane College, 1974-75
Eta (2), Northern Illinois University, 1976-77
Beta Alpha, Oklahoma City University, 1988-2003
Beta Iota, Illinois Wesleyan University

ee also

Christian fraternity

References

* [http://www.sigmatheta.org/ Sigma Theta Epsilon]

External links

* [http://www.sigmatheta.org/ Sigma Theta Epsilon]
* [http://www.christianfraternity.org Christian Fraternity.org]