Brian never imagined his life would be transformed inside the walls of a fraternity.
A driven athlete from California, he entered college at the University of Washington (UW) focused on earning a spot as a Division I football player and proving himself within the rigorous and image-driven fraternity culture. Parties, status, and outward appearances defined his identity.
“I just wanted to be known as one of the guys,” Brian remembers. “I wanted to be an awesome guy in their image.”
But with one simple invitation, everything changed.
When Navigator Nathaniel Beck — an alumni of Brian’s fraternity — reached out to the house and asked if anyone wanted to join a Bible study, Brian found himself interested. He showed up — and kept showing up. Gradually, the Lord transformed his heart for Christ.
Through weekly Bible studies and being discipled by other believers, Brian experienced a shift in his priorities and identity. As Brian’s understanding of the gospel deepened, so did his boldness and courage.
“As I grew in my faith, I became a lot more proud of it,” Brian says. “I started being willing to take risks and have tough conversations with guys because I know this is the way and the truth in my life.”
Wanting to pass on what he’d learned to others, Brian began to share his faith with his fraternity brothers, leading a summer Bible study at his house with a friend. One of their fraternity brothers, Louie, grew curious and decided to check out the group. Over the summer, Brian watched as Louie’s faith grew, developing from a place of doubt into a certain and dedicated belief in Jesus.
“I used to be this guy that wanted to control everything and everyone in terms of how I wanted to navigate my life,” Louie says. “After finally letting that go and accepting God’s plan, it gave me this ease that if I can just follow him, I know I’m going to be alright.”
A Generational Gospel Movement in Fraternity Row
Brian and Louie’s story is just one chapter in a much larger narrative of what God is doing in UW’s Greek system.
Long before Brian stepped foot on campus, God was already at work. Since the 1990s, the Lord has been planting seeds of faith in the fraternities, weaving a multigenerational chain of discipleship. Some seasons were fast and fruitful, others slow and unseen — but the legacy continued.
Over the past three decades, at least seven fraternity brothers have carried the torch, passing on the gospel from one brother to another. Brian and Louie are the most recent links in that chain — and their spiritual generations will only continue to multiply in the years to come.
“This is just one little snapshot of what God’s been doing over the years at UW,” Navigator Keith Pepsny, The Navigators regional director for Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, says. “Sometimes it’s slow, sometimes it’s fast, sometimes it’s a few people, sometimes it’s a lot of people. But the Lord is moving — one generation at a time.”
Join us in praying over the Greek ministry at UW, as the Lord softens hearts at fraternities and sororities and passes the torch of the gospel from one house to the next.
“One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts” Psalm 145:4 (NIV).
Discipleship Tip:
As Brian grew in his faith, he practiced boldness by sharing the gospel with his friends in Greek life and starting a summer Bible study. What would it look like for you to start a Bible study in your community? Think about who you could reach out to or how you could lead a Bible study, creating a space where you can invite your non-believing friends to learn more about Jesus.
One-Verse Evangelism: How to Share Christ’s Love Conversationally & Visually
What does it look like to evangelize in your community? “One-Verse Evangelism” is a Navigators resource designed to teach you how to share Christ’s love conversationally and visually — in as little as 10 to 15 minutes.
This is a great story!
I do have one correction, though. The Navigators have been a powerful force for Christ in the UW fraternity system since at least 1981.
I know. I was in a fraternity and much like Brian and Louie.
And then a Navigator walked into my fraternity, patiently and faithfully prayed for and invested time in me and with guys from other houses. His Bible teaching and encouragement brought profound meaning to my life. I found freedom, a far deeper relationship with God, and joy in Christ!
Praise the Lord for your report!
This was a great story. I am a grandmother now and have always loved seeing students come to Christ. We live in the Seattle area and this was wonderful to see things happening at the U of WA! Thanks for you work there.
What Louie said is pretty much how I felt after I surrendered my life to Christ my sophomore year in college.