Brothers, friends, and family of AΓΩ,
We, like the rest of the country and the world, have felt the shock of this pandemic. We understand this is a crazy and uncertain moment, unprecedented in our lifetimes. We understand many of you may be feeling anxious, uncertain, and fearful of what the future holds. Our hope and prayer is that Christ provides you peace, comfort, and assurance as we navigate what is to come.
Given the context in which we find ourselves in we felt the need for this statement to all brothers, friends, and families of AΓΩ. This pandemic has massive implications for our organization at large. This statement will detail how Alpha Gamma Omega has responded to, and will continue to navigate, the COVID19 pandemic.
Seniors
To all the senior brothers of AΓΩ, we want to extend our gratitude for choosing to invest your time and efforts in AΓΩ and congratulate your upcoming graduation with the class of 2020. We are sorry that many of you have lost your last semester as an undergraduate student and active brother of AΓΩ. Our national staff with be working with the officers of your chapter to figure out how to honor you and your time as an active member of our organization.
Activities
All in person activities, such as chapter meetings, philanthropies, socials, and informal initiations, have been suspended until further notice. All AΓΩ collegiate activities and business will be held exclusively online for the remainder of the 2019-2020 academic school year.
Pledgeship and Recruitment
Being a nationwide fraternity with chapters in many different academic systems, we know each of our chapters are at different spots with pledgeship and recruitment. Some have already concluded the process, some are in the middle of it, and others have lost the opportunity to conduct their final recruitment of the school year. To chapters that fall in the latter, our hearts are with you in this and we are praying for you.
In cooperation with the recommended guidelines set by the CDC and federal government, we have suspended all informal initiations until further notice. All remaining recruitment for the 2019-2020 school year has been cancelled as well. Our national staff, chapter advisors, and district counselors are working with each chapter on adjusting the pledge process to be in compliance with our government guidelines. All pledges of the spring 2020 academic semester will be initiated and activated at the beginning of the upcoming fall semester.
Community and Spiritual Development
We know in this season that the impact of AΓΩ can be equal to what it was before the pandemic, on the world and on our brothers. Our national leaders and national staff will be working with each chapter’s chaplain on a plan of how to continue the community of AΓΩ in this season. As members of the church, we are built for community, not to walk through life alone. We are assessing our options for chapters to still continue to meet digitally, in compliance with the guidelines provided by local, state, and federal governments.
Additionally, we are encouraging our brothers to see how they can serve their communities during this time, especially those who may be struggling in this season.
AΓΩ Colonies
Due to the evacuations of many universities, the CDC guidelines about gatherings, and our suspension of informal initiations, all colonies of AΓΩ have been paused. The plan is to resume the process of founding at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic school year.
Alumni of AΓΩ
If you are a alumni brother, we pray that you may find community through AΓΩ in this season. Many of us may be feeling the loneliness and hardship that comes with social distancing, shelter on site, and the loss of our routine social gatherings. We encourage you to reach out to your local alumni chapter, or if you’re in an area where there isn’t an alumni chapter, we encourage you to reach out to national leaders about starting one! Email us at [email protected] or [email protected], we will be happy to get you connected with brothers in your area.
If you’re living near one of our active collegiate chapters, we encourage you to reach out to them, and see how you may be able to support them at this time.
AGOm
Our goal and prayer from AGO Ministries is to provide a means for AGO men to share the love of Jesus in practical ways by serving others in His name. 2 Timothy 1:6-7 says “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God…for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.”
Let us continue to go out and share God’s love. Let us go and serve where others will not. AGO Ministries stands ready to support you in those endeavors.
As a nearly exclusively remote and digital entity, AGOm will continue to support brothers of Alpha Gamma Omega as they work to win others to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Statement of Hope
Though these times are uncertain and appear bleak, we relay on the hope of Jesus Christ in this season. As followers of Christ, we are told in 1 John 5:4 that “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith”. We hold to the assurance that this passage tells us, that regardless of what the world has against us, that through faith in Christ we will overcome.
Our prayer and hope is that through our faith, patience, and obedience, we will see through this pandemic. And that AΓΩ will continue to sharpen and develop men of Christ and impact our universities, workplaces, and communities for the next 100 years.
In Christ,
Alpha Gamma Omega, Christ-Centered Fraternity