Omicron Alpha Zeta

Omicron Alpha Zeta is a Greek letter organization formed in 2005 to provide a Christian alternative to traditional collegiate/alumni fraternities. The name of the fraternity is derived from [http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?search=John%2014:6;&version=31; John 14:6] (see Bible) where Jesus makes the statement "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." OAZ is an acronym of the Greek words for way, truth, and life (οδος, αληθεια, and ζωη, respectively).

"We recognized the need for a true Christian fraternity since the secular fraternities were engaging in activities which were questionably compliant with the Christian faith. Furthermore, the so-called Christian fraternities had little resemblance to their secular counterparts. We set out to create an organization that satisfied both our Christian values and our attraction to the Greek life." - Phil Brown, Charter Member

Chapters of OAZ are designated sequentially with Greek letters, i.e., the first (and at present only) chapter is called Alpha Chapter. Alpha Chapter is attached to Mid-South Christian College in Memphis, TN. Each chapter has a collegiate and an alumni branch. Some fraternal activities are for collegiates, some for alumni, and some for both. Both branches are self-governing, but all branches of all chapters are ultimately subject to the jurisdiction of the Grand Chapter. The Grand Chapter, which meets bi-annually, is composed of representatives elected from both branches of each chapter.

The Christian nature of the fraternity does make it strikingly different from many fraternities in several ways. Differences include:

As it is a fledgling fraternity, OAZ may undergo a number of changes in the near future. For example, the wearing of the fez may cause the fraternity to be confused with the Shriners.