The purpose of Eta Iota Sigma is to establish a sisterhood among women who seek to nourish their bond with the Lord Jesus Christ. HIS was founded because of a need for an organization where Christian women could come together and encourage one another to shine their lights daily on a University campus. HIS came into being in 1992 at Texas Christian University when God brought three university wome
n together, Jennifer Festa, Christi McCann, & Britta Dimick, to form a special sisterhood for Christian women on their campus. With the founders convinced that “nothing is impossible with God,” the group soon grew to 15 committed members, even before a name was chosen. After several discouraging attempts to colonize with a pre-established Christian sorority, God lead them in a new direction. Recognizing that it was God’s work to orchestrate the huge task of forming a sorority from scratch, the members chose the name He Is Sufficient (taken from the Hebrew word “Dayenu”). The sorority has now grown to over 100 members, and offers a wide range of events that foster social, physical, intellectual, and spiritual growth. Lois Anderson & Catherine Jagers were in search of a Christian sisterhood. Their campus was full of sororities that steered the heart away from the Lord. They knew of the deep impact HIS was having on the campus of TCU, and deeply desired for women at SMU to experience this kind of spiritual sisterhood founded on an identity in Christ. While there were other Christian sororities after which to model themselves, the founders felt that HIS most closely demonstrated the values and vision after which they were seeking. Beginning as a small women’s bible study, the group grew, modeling themselves after TCU’s sorority. The Beta chapter now has close to 50 members strong, and is a vital part of the SMU community. The addition of SMU as a chapter brought forth many unique concerns. How would the sororities remain in contact with each other? How would decisions be made? How would the sorority compensate for the campus differences? In 2002, three graduating executive members of TCU’s chapter saw the need for a standards board to uphold the integrity and purity of the sorority in light of potential growth. The National Board was born of a vision to preserve the original intent of the sisterhood, while planning for future expansion into other campuses. The board consists of five positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Chapter Liaison. Each board member has previously served on a HIS executive board, and agrees to serve a minimum of a two-year term on National Board. The purpose of the National Board is to serve as national representatives on behalf of Eta Iota Sigma, to support the individual chapters with particular attention to the needs of the executive board, to facilitate the process of starting a new chapter, and to uphold the sorority’s constitution.
