In this issue, we remember the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for the remission of OUR past, present and future sins…nothing that He did wrong. Salvation was the purpose. He defeated sin by bearing our iniquities so that we could be reconciled back unto God the Father. There are many gifts and talents that we can use to praise God, but there is only one way to Him and that way is Jesus Christ, “…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me,” John 14:6, KJV.
Observing the sacrifice of the Lamb brings to mind all that He was willing to give for me…for us. Thinking back to the foolish decision and choices I’ve made in my life causes me to praise Him even more because God has saved me from myself. One of those choices was to commit spiritual adultery. I cheated on God not knowing that I was truly doing myself a disservice. I joined a sorority (Zeta Phi Beta) not knowing really what I was getting in to. I had heard about others being hazed (beaten and/or disrespected), but personally I didn’t encounter any of that. We went to church, we praised God, and we knew who OUR Lord was. But God challenged me one day, thirteen years later in the fall of 2008 (to the season) in which I had pledged (fall 1995).
God had me to pull out those items I had saved all those years since pledging to get rid of everything associated with the sorority: handbook, receipts for dues payments, and all paraphernalia. Now, leading up to the fall of 2008, I had heard God’s voice as His Holy Spirit was dealing with me. I didn’t know exactly what it was when I began feeling uncomfortable in the preceding years (almost two) when I met other Zetas. People who knew I was a Zeta introduced me to other Zetas and it made me feel ashamed. I didn’t know why I was feeling like this, but I now understand that because I was drawing closer to God, He was drawing closer to me (reference James 4:8). He was purging me. He explained to me that He had to separate me because He did not want to lose me. Yes, I heard those words.
In throwing my former possessions into a burning flame of fire, I still searched for something that said it was all right. I looked through the handbook and there was God in the pages, but the Holy Spirit said, “What god are they talking about?” Jesus was no where to be found between the pages. As I tossed sweaters and objects that bore the name Zeta Phi Beta, God had me to look down at numerous receipts of membership dues paid in the past. And again I was convicted about the time I had pledged years earlier. “You paid that sorority when you weren’t even paying your tithes.” That hurt me, although by this point I had been paying my tithes and giving to the church regularly for years. But to come to the realization that I had done that to the True and Living God was sobering. Who was god in my life? “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” Exodus 20:3, KJV. Listen here at a song we used to sing on this Zeta chapter's website. (Now, read Matthew 22:37). That was it! It is so painfully clear now in seeing another greet others in the name of a sorority, fraternity, or any organization for that matter, the excitement of linking up, pales in comparison when finding another brother or sister in Christ.
In denouncing the sorority, I later formally submitted a letter to the headquarters (a hard and an electronic copy) along with this scripture, Revelation 22:12-16. They probably thought I was crazy, but the things of God are considered foolish to the world… “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God,” 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, KJV.
I have been blessed to be connected with Keya Brown who also pledged the same sorority that I had during the same time that I had and denounced after about the same amount of years I had. I met her after we had both denounced this sorority. What a Divine Appointment. Below you can read her personal account and the road she traveled back to full fellowship with the Lord.
The Testimony Corner welcomes Minister Fred Hachett who not only pledged Omega Psi Phi in the past, but is also formerly of the Masonic Order. He sheds personal insight behind a notoriously secretive organization. Those who have ears let them hear.
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Introducing Ms. Keya Brown, a former Zeta Phi Beta
I am a former member of Zeta Phi Beta, the sister organization to Phi Beta Sigma. And I am a one God Apostolic Christian. I became a member in November 1995. I had joined at a time after stepping away from the Lord. I can admit that I was not living for God, heavily becoming a part of the world. I wanted to be apart of the sisterhood organization because I have only brothers. Another reason was that I wanted to help improve that particular chapter because it had a "big girl" stigma. My purpose for joining had nothing to do with the widely advertised community service; rather I joined in order to have an incorporated organization in which to add to my resume`. Simply because of affiliation many doors would be open to me.
Thinking back, the only time me and my “sorors” (sorority sisters) went to church was on our Founder's Day; and even then we went to some random church. In going together, we were seen as a united group of women which would in turn attract other women to the organization—not God.
The false god: I had to kneel before an altar and repeat an oath or agree to some statements by saying, "I DO." Although I was far from God, HE was not far from me. I remember thinking, "What in the heck am I saying??" The whole set up was just creepy. If my mother could be there, she would have pleaded, "The Blood of JESUS" over and over again. But I thought at that time after all of what I went through up to this point, I'll just deal with [it]…later. Thirteen (13) years and two months later I finally dealt with it.
Other Zetas and Greeks did not express verbally but I knew who had a problem with it because my friendship status changed on Facebook. But a couple of friends, one Zeta and one Kappa, understood that it was God but they just had not come into their season of truth yet [concerning Greeks]. I was in a wonderful place in my career, my relationship, and I was even working on a national project that would go to the movies. I desired to get closer to Lord during this time. I wanted to hear His voice the way I used to. I really was not interested in the sorority like I used to be and I resolved that I needed to understand why instead of just saying, “Oh I grew out of it,” because that wouldn’t have been true. It was crazy because I was THE step-mistress of the southeast and dance queen of the region. I had drawn many interested persons and my leaving the sorority was because of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not because of any strife. I decided to go back into research mode on Greek Lettered Organizations (GLOs) to find where in the Bible they’re supported. See, I needed a reason to stay; to keep the tags on my car; to keep Zeta on my list of achievements on my resume.
Now we did not bow to an image of Bastet or Hathor nor did we even have it in these current handbooks, but we did do enough of the other stuff. We diligently chanted that all of our LOVE/PEACE/HAPPINESS we're going to give to Zeta, and that I love my Z-Phi-B, and many other forms of praise and worship to the sorority. The community service we did was ALWAYS in the name of Zeta; NEVER in the name of Jesus. Through many of the underground pledging we invoked spirits of arrogance, hostility and tolerance for non-sense from our own sorors, but not from outsiders. The greeting the pledges had to say, says that the big sisters are our guiding force to the Zeta light. What?? Yes. I realized I did not need much to see this is an idolatrous organization.
We oppressed people through underground pledging. And if we did not participate, we still knew and let it happen. Mysteriously, in all of that research (which I did on the other organizations as well), I found NOTHING DEALING WITH CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES OR CHRIST—NOTHING. Nothing, I tell you; not in their principles, history, or songs. We did not even pray together except to keep from getting kicked off the campus and at meetings; peanut butter and jelly prayers anyway. It was all Egyptian Mysticism and some forms of humanism; but those who know this are more likely to be Masons or just be quiet. This Supreme13 (http://www.supreme13.com/) group knew this and they embraced it and has a website encouraging you to do the same. View for yourself on the link above.
Serving in an organization like this is contra-Christian. Why? It is idolatry at best. At worst, during rituals it is a form of harmless, witchcraft. Sounds like an oxymoron? Well I weighed my salvation against all of my findings… guess who won? I formally denounced in January 2009.
These organizations are the offspring of Freemasonry; most of them know this but some do not. But Masons definitely know this, so read Matthew 7:18-20. These organizations swear and make oaths to the group. The Old Testament instructs us that swearing is a trespassing sin, Leviticus 5:1, 4-5.; the New Testament fulfills that when Jesus instructs us further in Matthew 5:34-37. You are binding yourselves with non-believers and people who are atheists or otherwise do not have a desire to serve God. Joining these organizations is like a marriage because you are avowing yourselves to the other members of the group. The scripture that convicted me on this was Psalm 1:1 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-15. Additional scripture references are located on my website: http://www.denouncegreek.webs.com/.
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The Testimony Corner
"Turning to God"
Well, I was going to pledge Kappa at State in 1986, even took a few strokes of the cane, but a minor technicality got in the way. I was not going to put up with potential fruits of pledging, such as broken bones and busted ear drums, which Kappas were (in)famous for. I had heard it all too often from Kappas. Needless to say, one of my supposed to be line brothers ratted on me, yet he was the very individual that cried wolf when the process got too hard.
Now, fast forward to 1989 where I meet a Delta at work. She introduces me to Omega Psi Phi. In 1990, I pledged graduate chapter. I hazed, was twice a Dean of Pledges (DP), remember there was no such thing as DP's anymore after 1990. Yeah, you got it, that old we are not a hazing organization line. Well, I never had to use that line, I never hid that lie.
Somewhere, between 1992 to late 1993, I was involved in the Masonic Order. I denounced before I was born again. I was still an Omega, but one who was struggling with my membership and "profession" of faith status. Well, I went ahead and had a born again experience in April 1994, denounced Omega Psi Phi, and immediately began compiling information on the biblical worldview, of fraternities and sororities. My book Coming Apart at The Seams: Biblically Unraveling the Evils of Greek Fraternities and Sororities and http://www.dontgogreek.com/ unfolded into a reality that a new Worldview of Greek-Letter Organizations was on the block. I am often in thoughtful awe of why God chose me to do such a thing as exposing The Sacred Cow of Masonry and Greek Life.
The most bittersweet reality of this whole thing was that Christians are the biggest enemies, and that the church would become a major focus of exposing wickedness in high places.
***Fred Hatchett is now a minister of the Gospel.***
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In Closing,
My experience in sharing what the Hoy Spirit has revealed to me has led to much adversity. It is my prayer that many who are in these organizations or thinking about joining one will seek the true and living Holy God in the name of Jesus. He will direct your path. Praise God that I have had a couple of people approach me inquiring about nightmares they’ve experienced surrounding these organizations…because God knew the same things had happened to me. After denouncing the sorority, the nightmares never returned. God knew I was able to speak to these people (whom I hadn’t known previously) to share my personal account. It was a Divine Appointment.
My plea is that many will examine the oaths taken and be mindful of the words being spoken into the atmosphere. This is a spiritual battle for we wrestle not against flesh and blood.
To submit a testimony or an article for contribution, please email me at renee@reneeallenmccoy.com
