Sigma Phi Lambda, Sisters of The Lord, recently gained Student Government Association (SGA) approval on Tuesday, August 6, 2011. Sigma Phi Lambda is, according to Taryn Coullier, president of the Longwood University organization, "a sorority that strives to glorify God by providing a source of fellowship for Christian college women who sincerely seek to know His person, His will, and His ways." The organization is recognized by Longwood as a social Greek organization. Therefore, it has no male counterpart. The organization does participate in the big-sister/little-sister tradition of campus sororities, and does go on a retreat as other sororities do. There is also a national chapter of Sigma Phi Lambda, which began at the University of Texas at Austin in 1988. The organization was started at Longwood University, during the fall semester of 2010 by Coullier and a group of her friends. Coullier stated, "A few of my friends and I were planning on pledging when I started thinking about all the Christian organizations on campus, such as Baptist Christian Ministries (BCM), Episcopal Lutheran Ministries (ELM), and the Wesley Foundation. I began to wonder why there was no sisterhood just for Christian women at Longwood. I did some research online, found Sigma Phi Lambda, and contacted the executive director of the national chapter to see what could be done."
Over the summer of 2011, the executive director of Sigma Phi Lambda visited Longwood and aided Coullier and her friends in bringing the Sisters of The Lord Sorority to campus. The Sigma Phi Lambda national chapter's constitution was approved by Longwood University's SGA with the help of Sigma Phi Lambda's executive director. The organization's goals were also detailed by the executive director of the national chapter and Longwood University's SGA. The Longwood organization of Sigma Phi Lambda currently has fourteen total members, nine of which are charter members (the first members at Longwood), and five of which are officers (known as the founding mothers of Sigma Phi Lambda at Longwood).
Sigma Phi Lambda takes part in many Longwood activities, such as Oktoberfest, and also holds open and closed parties. Community service is also an important part of Sigma Phi Lambda at Longwood and the national chapter. This year, Longwood's Sigma Phi Lambda is doing charity work with North Field Organization, which is an organization based close to campus that helps females with eating disorders. "The national chapter of Sigma Phi Lambda became affiliated with World Vision just last year," said Coullier. World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with others to overcome poverty, injustice, and issues of world hunger. Coullier stated, "Care packages have been sent to the children with aids of Africa this year through Sigma Phi Lambda and World Vision."
To be a member of Sigma Phi Lambda, one must be a fulltime female student of Longwood University who is a second-semester freshman or above in class rank, and who is seeking Christian fellowship with a Bible study group and a church home. There is no GPA requirement for Sigma Phi Lambda. Sigma Phi Lambda also seeks to help ladies find the Bible study groups and church homes that best cater to each lady's needs, rather than requiring ladies to have a Bible study group and a church before pledging the sorority. Sigma Phi Lambda is also a non-denominational/inter-denominational Christian organization; ladies with any or no denomination are accepted into the sorority. Coullier stressed, "We are really more of a ‘you-choose-us' organization, rather than a ‘we-choose-you' organization. We help ladies find places to worship and we create the sisterly bond through our common faith."
The meetings and chapter meetings of Sigma Phi Lambda consist of prayer times and devotionals, as well as business. There are also prayer nights within the organization.
The nickname of Sigma Phi Lambda is "Phi Lamb." The organization's colors are rose-red and white, which signify the blood of Christ and purity, respectively. The symbol of the sorority is the lamb, as alluded to in the sorority's name. Sigma Phi Lambda, and new members of the sorority are known as "Little Lambs."
The sorority also seeks to "Know our community and campus better, and offer more services to the Longwood community as a whole, while at the same time maintaining the strong bond of sisterhood through our worship of the Lord," said Coullier.
