I renounced my membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. on April 4, 2023. I am scheduled to be expelled from the organization during Boule 2024. I now write this blog to share insights about my experience per God’s will.
For those who know me know that I am a pretty private person so this public declaration is out of the norm for me. My plan was to tip out the back door quietly with one finger up. But God would not have it that way. He relayed that I should leave the organization with the same energy with which I joined – publicly. This is far greater than me.
For the sake of space, time and putting deep intimate details aside, I will lay this out as concisely as possible. However, this is still a rather long piece. The most important thing is that I share God’s truths which prompted my decision to renounce. My hope is that you will bear with me until the end.
My Experience
I have been a professing Christian for practically all my life. I was born into a believing family and was baptized at the age of 7. I routinely attended church on Sundays (sometimes twice) and occasionally went to Bible study on Wednesday nights. I served at times as a choir member, usher, and a youth praise dancer. I loved, listened to and sang “church music” believing this to be worship to God. I had a general grasp of God’s role and sovereignty in my life and would often speak of His goodness. I was sure to give Him all the glory, honor and praise after major accomplishments. As far as I knew, I was committed to Jesus. I checked all the boxes. Think superficial Christian and/or cultural Christianity 101.
What I lacked, and honestly took for granted, was the most pertinent piece of the puzzle – an intimate relationship with my Abba Father. I was ignorant of His Word. I had limited knowledge of His unchanging nature, character, attributes, uncompromising truth about sin and His eternal plan for the ages. I lacked true appreciation for Jesus’ sacrifice for me and proper understanding of what that means for my life. I recently learned that God did not desire the “works” of which I describe here. He wanted my heart – in complete faith, love, surrenderance and obedience to Him.
Unfortunately, I was blinded by the god of this age when I pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. (hereafter AKA) in Fall 2006 under the guise of sisterhood, good works and community service. It was my sophomore year of college. I was in pursuit of a network which AKA could furnish and somewhere to belong. I was discovering myself like many young college women.
I was intensely involved in the sorority in 2006-2008. I was last active in 2008. I was certainly not what one would call a super soror. Over the years, I made attempts to reactivate my membership to no avail. Despite my inactive status, I could often be found decked out in pink and green, strolling at probates, founder’s day and other events with my head high, pinky up, mirror higher and chanting or singing of how deep Alpha (personified) was down in my heart. Unbeknownst to me, God was not impressed that I had pledged my allegiance, obedience, faith, love, fidelity and trust to a false god – an idol; a counterfeit. This was so even with a half-hearted commitment to AKA. I would later learn about spiritual purity.
Confrontation in Brief
Following a radical encounter with God through His Holy Spirit in June 2022, my life changed in the most profound way. Long story short, I got saved. God began to show me His heart and to reveal the issues of mine layer by layer. The ultimate choice laid before me was to have the full power and force of the Holy Spirit or to keep the presence of unclean spirits I had accumulated and enthroned in my heart over the years, including that of AKA.
AKA was first raised as an issue of idolatry through a trusted family member within a day or two of God’s initial visit to me. Unfortunately, I did not receive what that family member shared. However, God persisted. He continued to visit me in dreams, in what seemed like random occurrences throughout my days and in my prayer time over a period of 10 months. I will not outline every single detail here, but I will share the final revelation that brought the matter to a close – which was confirmed by subsequent events. Taking all revelations together, I reckoned with the fact that I was guilty of the sin of idolatry, and other sins by association, before the eyes of the Lord.
I had a vivid dream on February 19, 2023 wherein I was a spectator at a location near a large body of water – like a lake. It was an initiation setting, except the ceremony took place outside in broad daylight. There was a large group of women marching in rising flood waters and singing AKA songs. The one song I can recall has lyrics that say: “AKA is deep, deep, deep, deep down in my heart…” The group was too large for me to count numbers. Each woman had on a Delta Sigma Theta shirt and carried a single candle stick. Irrespective of whether the women could swim, they marched down a set of stairs and into the large body of water never to be seen again. It was implicitly clear that they were not going down to be baptized. I gleaned from the atmosphere that darkness was present. This dream was followed by AKA-related dreams wherein I was tested in terms of who I would choose to serve “this day” – God or AKA. I acknowledge here that not all dreams are from God. These, however, were confirmed to be.
While ironic, God showed off a bit of His character with the AKAs in Delta shirts twist. He is no respecter of persons. This includes man-made/ man-centered organizations. He also has a great sense of humor. I found this dream to be fascinating since the setting was completely opposite of what happens in real life from a process perspective, though it is certainly symbolic of Godly truth. For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Luke 8:17.
Bear in mind that God deals with His children individually and personally. See Biblical examples for illustration. How He communicates with and gives revelation to me is not how He may speak with the next person.
The Whole Counsel of God
With all of this in mind, I was sent on a search of the scriptures. 2 Timothy 2:15. I reviewed the whole counsel of God which concerns all things necessary for His glory, salvation, faith and life. God’s whole counsel is here for us to know and experience Him in His written Word. To this end, I firmly believe that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
On idolatry, He commands: You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image… you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. Exodus 20:3-5. New Testament admonitions relative to idolators follow. Thus, the commandment against idolatry transcends covenants, testaments and dispensations – which concern God’s word to His people during a certain time period.
I will note here that the word “before” in this context encompasses the terms beside or in opposition to in addition to its English meaning. Before has further been interpreted to mean to have no false god to the face of God. The idea is that gods should not be ordered per an inferiority ranking system. Example: 1, 2, 3 and so on. The Bible warns against the practice of mixing worship of gods/idols with that of the one true God.
I ultimately conclude that God’s Word is Supreme. No exceptions were granted for AKA in 1908 or ever. He does not care that AKA is “in” and widely accepted in modern day culture. Idolatry is idolatry. Consider that the organization’s 115 years of existence are not even one single day to the Lord. But beloved be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8. AKA and its works are nothing but a vapor; a fleeting moment just like passing human life. All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers and its flower falls away. But the Word of the Lord stands forever. 1 Peter 1:24.
AKA is anti-Christ in Nature
AKA by its very nature offers a secular alternative to Christian fellowship. It promotes sisterhood and fosters service through human principles and wisdom. Its moral code (constitution, bylaws and/or rituals) does not purport to outright represent AKA as a Christian organization. However, its moral code adopts Bible verses as well as Biblical practices and symbolism which creates a presumption of organizational righteousness.
As an example, Bible verses are amended and tailored to the organization in direct violation of God’s command to not add or subtract from His Word. Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18-19. Acknowledgement of an eternal spirit in organizational rituals and prayer is often used to show the organization as God-serving or doing God’s work. Prayer is sparsely offered – in the name of Jesus, too. A chaplain is often incorporated within chapter structures depending on preference. Members who profess to know, love, obey and serve God often use these points to defend their AKA membership. I was once one of them.
When the altar of AKA was destroyed from my heart, I threw away all of my paraphernalia, including the moral code. But God brought me to a place to remember aspects of my own intake process. Based on that and a ritual document that I was able to find by a google search, I share these extracted passages as examples of troubling recitations made during the pledge process:
| Prayer: “Open then my eyes O God, that I may behold the wondrous works of this great organization. Make me understand the ideals and purposes of this sisterhood so that I may continue the great work so nobly begun. Take from me any selfishness and lack of purpose which could keep me from following the ideals for the organization. Awaken within me holy desires, inspire me with a new enthusiasm of the revered founders and grant me wisdom and strength that I may render service to all mankind. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” | Words changed from Psalm 119:18, a prayer offered by King David which reads: “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things of your law.” Prayer continues to ask God to awaken holy desires, not for His purposes, but for AKA’s revered (worshiped) founders. In the end, the prayer is offered up in the name of Jesus. |
| Recital: “I shall keep in my heart these words: Set a guard over my mouth: keep watch over the doors of my lips.” | Similar to Psalm 141:3 which reads: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Here David petitioned God for help so that he may not sin against God. He did not ask for help for the purpose of protecting interests of a secret society. |
|
Prayer: “Eternal Spirit, we yearn for a better understanding of spiritual things and a closer walk with Thee, that we may interpret aright the times in which we live. We long to be able to minister according to Thy will, to people who are trouble and burdened with the cares of the world. Instill into the hearts of Thy servants each day, fresh confidence in Thy goodness. Deliver us from fear and worry that we may deal confidently with the fears and worries of others. Strengthen our faith and increase our capacity for sympathy and understanding. Make us glad to bear one another’s burdens; and be grateful for opportunities of fulfilling thus the law of eternal life.” |
|
| Song Lyrics: “I think that I shall never know Another love that thrills me so, Dwells in my heart by day and night As my love for A.K.A. I think that I need never fear Where hearts are loyal, true and dear. Secure I am at work, at play Of such are these – the A.K.A. I think when I shall come to die There’ll be no need of fear or sigh, For if I’ve been an A.K.A. Life owes me naughtI’ve lived my day.” |
|
| Pledge: “To thee, O Alpha Kappa Alpha! We pledge our hearts, our minds, our strength; To foster thy teachings, Obey thy laws, And make thee Supreme in Service to All mankind O, Alpha Kappa Alpha We greet thee.” |
|
| Poem: “And God said, I’ll make a woman, A woman of substance, A woman or pride, A woman who is able to put petty things aside, A woman of integrity, A woman of love, A woman who is worthy of The treasures from above, A woman who is genuine, A leader in every way. God said I’ll make a woman, I’ll call her AKA.” |
|
| Scripture reading: Ruth 1:16-17 – Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried, The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me. |
The reality is that I entered into a covenant relationship with AKA. I passed through various degrees of ritual wherein my exclusive allegiance, obedience, faith, trust, fidelity, and love was pledged to the organization. I promised, amongst other things, to give my heart, mind and strength to AKA; to bring honor to the name of AKA; to glorify its founders and “reverence AKA forever and a day”; to place blind faith and trust in the bonds of sisterhood with no reservations; to be committed and devoted to AKA forever; to live life anew by showing “the way” and penetrating darkness in the world with the light of AKA; and, finally, to be obedient to the laws governing the organization and so on. Submission and subjugation to the highest authority of AKA is proven by kneeling in the presence of to-be sisters and presumably the eternal spirit prayed to in ritual. In the end, I agreed to wear AKA symbols with pride.
There was/is a lot of reciting, chanting and singing involved as a byproduct of organizational practices. The recitations, singing and chanting go beyond a display of organizational pride or merely honoring AKA as an organization or its founders for having done something good in the world. Specifically, singing and chanting to AKA (personified) or to/about its founders arguably rises to the level of ancestral worship in light of other organizational aspects. Also, it is nothing other than self-worship when members boast about their own looks, abilities or accomplishments to the exclusion of God.
All aspects considered, these are clear examples of taking the pure essence of God’s Word/His heart and mixing and merging it with other types of worship practices. By centering good works/community service and reciting Bible verses, in totality or partially, idolatry is often justified by directing attention to God in an indirect way. The Bible warns: Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8. “…Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2 Timothy 3:5.
God opened my eyes to see that the initiation specifically sets in motion a spiritual reality that too often goes unnoticed. This is because most people are spiritually blind. He revealed that the eternal spirit referenced in rituals is not His Holy Spirit. The candle lit and placed on the table (an altar) during initiation represents something that is not of Him. Whether beckoning the spirit of the AKA god, Ethel, or an associated false god, like Atlas, it is not harmless and certainly not something to be taken lightly. This is where the spirit of the age directly collides with the Spirit of God. There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12.
Former AKA and researcher Gail Y. King found that mysticism and occult connection is present in organizational processes broadly. Other researchers affirmed findings that AKA is rooted in evil origins (Masonic ties), invokes a false god (Ethel et al.; Greek and/or Egyptian deities) and purports to be the light – to the exclusion of God’s one true light. All of this is hidden in plain sight as illustrated in works like those of Gail Y. King’s Greek-Letter Organizations: Offspring of Abomination; Jerrod Smith’s The True Alpha and Omega; and Cheryl V. Riley’s Rituals = 666: The Demonic Deception of Black Greek-Letter Organizations. I have come to appreciate the conclusion reached that AKA and other Divine 9 organizations’ oaths, rituals, and practices are simply an abomination to God, with rituals of ancient Babylon and Egypt origin – like crossing the burning sands – rising to a special level of disdain.
As an example of parallel Egyptian symbolism, I was bound together by rope with women on my line as part of our probate performance. We wore outfits to resemble prisoners. We ultimately crossed from bondage and darkness into the light of AKA. When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said: I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12.
Contrary to popular belief, the Gospel message of Jesus is not one of sisterhood; personal success, improvement and self-growth; climbing the latter, community service for the benefit of all mankind or “good works” – the message of Jesus is simply the cross. It is a message of hope and reconciliation between sinners and the one true Holy God. To try and overlap the message of AKA and Jesus promotes a false Gospel of good works. The Apostle Paul warns against this in Galatians 1.
AKA – A Modern Day Golden Calf
The story of the golden calf in Exodus 23 nicely illustrates what is at play when God is thrown into the mix of AKA rituals – as an afterthought. After the children of Israel had been delivered from Egypt, they ignorantly or impatiently built a golden calf and worshipped it. They merged worship of the golden calf with worship of the Lord. Exodus 23:5 reads: So when Aaron saw it (the golden calf) he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord. Thus, they made a calf for themselves to which they gave to it credit that was due to God. God’s anger was aroused. People lost their lives. For their idolatry and other sin, that generation of Israelites died in the wilderness and did not enter the promised land. Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? Hebrews 3:17.
The Bible contains many examples of sneaky instances of mixing worship. Another example is where Moses warned the children of Israel in Deuteronomy 16:21-22: You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wood image, near the altar which you build for yourself to Yahweh your God. You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which Yahweh your God hates.
One other example is the story of the Strange Fire in Leviticus 10. The sum is that God told the Israelites how they were to worship Him. But the priests Nadab and Abihu added to God’s agenda by worshiping their way. The lesson here is that God gets to tell us how to worship Him, not the other way around.
Somehow, history always has a way of repeating itself. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again. There is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9.
AKA Idolatry Results in Associated Sin: Self Worship, Pride + Double-Mindedness
If it was not bad enough to be found guilty of idolatry, I learned that the sin of self-worship and pride crept into my heart by association with AKA. I cannot recall the number of times that I flipped my hair, chanted about being a pretty girl or boasted about controlling my own destiny. This, too, is a form of idolatry in the eyes of God. God does not tolerate any other gods before Him, and that includes me. Pride (and self-worship) is nothing other than sin. In his pride the wicked man does not seek God because in all man’s thoughts there is no room for God. Psalm 10:4. God opposes the proud.
The harsh reality is that the value systems of AKA and God ARE mutually exclusive. That is, they cannot be lived at the same time without double-mindedness being at a person’s core. No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. Matthew 6:24. There is no lukewarm, neutral or in between.
Here is my attempt to illustration this point:
Conclusion
I was once that spiritually blind, deaf and dumb Christian professing to love God with my mouth while at the same time centering a false god. I understand that where there is greater revelation, there is greater responsibility. Now that I know Truth, I must live it. To whom much is given, much is required. Luke 12:48 So, my days of toting the pink and green banner and strolling around the golden calf of AKA are over. My deepest desire and ultimate life goal is to please my audience of One, leading people, especially young women to covet Jesus, not AKA.
I prayerfully encourage any Christian reader to consider this blog with spiritual eyes. Proper understanding can only be gained by the Spirit. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12.
God desires for all of His children to have the full riches of complete understanding. Colossians 2:2.