Cal State Welcomes Back Chi Alpha Student Ministry

Another Christian student group has returned to the California State University system after a new nondiscrimination policy forced it out in 2014.

This month, Chi Alpha, the student ministry of the Assemblies of God, returned to re-start chapters at Cal State Stanislaus, Cal State Sacramento, San Diego State, and Cal State Fresno.

In July, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapters returned to the Cal State system. Read more about that here.

Both ministries left because the new policy required them to accept all students as leaders, regardless of their beliefs.

Both Chi Alpha and InterVarsity were able to return as officially recognized campus groups after months of negotiations with Cal State administrators.

"The Cal State Chancellor's Office agreed that while religious student groups couldn't require all leadership candidates to share their faith, students were free to select leaders whose lives and beliefs reflected their group's message," The Becket Fund, which serves as legal counsel for Chi Alpha, explained in a statement.

Chi Alpha began in 1953 as a ministry for college students to worship God, study the Bible, and pray together. It has served the Cal State Stanislaus campus for close to 40 years.

Chi Alpha and InterVarsity will now enjoy the benefits of status as officially recognized student groups. They include being allowed to reserve rooms for meetings, publicize events on campus, and participate in university student involvement fairs.