Alpha Iota Omega Fraternity, Inc., is a non-denominational, multi-racial Christian fraternity founded in 1999 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

History

Three UNC students met to pray about the idea of founding a Christian fraternity during Summer 1998. An official meeting was then held and the founding process began. The founders prayed for many weeks, and six men were added to the original three: Joseph Cassis, David Cooke, Christopher Faison, Rollan Fisher, Steven Fisher, Christopher Green, Charles Kiefer, Reginald Roberson, and Charles White.

At the beginning of the 1999, the nine founders decided upon the fraternity’s colors, the constitution, and a plan to immediately "impact the (North Carolina) campus for Christ." It was during this period that the Fraternity's name, Alpha Iota Omega, was chosen. The fraternity became official on January 25, 1999.

In April 1999, Alpha Iota Omega debuted at UNC. The founders presented a "public ministry," during which they preached on the fraternity’s founding tenets and enacted a physical drama.

Alpha Iota Omega became UNC's second Christian fraternity (following the Gamma Chapter of Chi Alpha Omega in 1994) and the university’s first multi-racial fraternity.

In 2001, the Fraternity formed a National Planning Committee, composed of Alpha Iota Omega alums, to establish the fraternity as a nonprofit organization. In 2002, Alpha Iota Omega Christian Fraternity became an incorporated as a nonprofit organization.

The fraternity has very close ties to Alpha Epsilon Omega, a Christian sorority (no relation to an Armenian fraternity of the same name) founded in 1997.

Controversy

Just before the start of the 2004-05 school year, AIO's Alpha chapter had its status as an officially recognized student organization revoked by UNC officials because it refused to sign an agreement not to discriminate against anyone on account of religious affiliation. AIO contended that complying with this rule would compromise its status as a Christian fraternity and violated its First Amendment rights. U.S. District Court judge Frank Bullock granted the fraternity an injunction allowing it to restrict its membership. UNC later changed its policy to allow religious groups (within certain limits) to restrict their membership, and the suit was dismissed in 2006.

In the midst of this controversy, articles in the News and Observer and UNC's student newspaper, the Daily Tar Heel; raised questions about AIO's links to Every Nation, a network of charismatic Christian churches. Fisher, Cooke, White and Faison met while members of a campus outreach of King's Park International Church in nearby Durham, a key member of Every Nation. Morgan Bates, one of KPIC's campus ministers at UNC, served as AIO's spiritual adviser. Every Nation has faced scrutiny for its past links to Maranatha Campus Ministries, a campus ministry from the 1980s that had been accused of abusive practices. Maranatha dissolved in 1990, but Every Nation has been accused of being a revived Maranatha. However, AIO is not in any way controlled by KPIC or Every Nation, and most of its members are not members of KPIC.

About the fraternity

{|
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| Founded: || January 25, 1999
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| Founded at: || University of North Carolina
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| Fraternity colors: || Black, Green, and White
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| Mission statement: || “Alpha Iota Omega Christian Fraternity, Inc.,<br> exists to perpetuate brotherhood, leadership, and service<br> among men through accountability, mentorship, <br>and outreach in local communities.”
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| Chapters' goal: || “To uphold the Great Commission of <br> Jesus Christ by serving members of Greek <br>letter organizations through evangelism and <br>mentorship both on university campuses and<br> in the greater community.”
|}

Chapters

Α - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Β - North Carolina Central University

External links

Official website of the national fraternity