20th Century
1940s
1946–AG students organize Assembly Christ’s Ambassadors C. A.’s at Wheaton College.
1947–J. Robert Ashcroft challenges attendees at the Fifth National Sunday School Convention to develop a program for ministering to AG youth attending colleges outside the Fellowship.
1948–College Youth Division was created in the National C. A. (Youth) Department, and the first College Fellowship Bulletin was published to encourage and resource AG college students. It was sent September 1948 to 43 college students on 22 campuses.
1949–AG college students form a “Christ’s Ambassadors” student club at Southwest Missouri State College, Springfield, Missouri.
1950s
1950–Pentecostal college students began to get together informally on campuses.
1952–Southern Missouri District of the Assemblies of God appointed J. Calvin Holsinger to be the official chaplain for campus ministry at Southwest Missouri State (SMS) College and Drury College.
–The College Fellowship Bulletin, name changed to Campus Ambassador Magazine (CAM)
1953–Holsinger originated the name Chi Alpha (XA) for the local AG college student
ministry at Southwest Missouri State College.
1954–The National C.A. Department adopted the name Chi Alpha as the AG national
college student ministry and asked Holsinger to be the first part-
time national campus advisor and to organize the Chi Alpha
program nationally.
1955–First article written by J. Calvin Holsinger on campus ministry was published in the Pentecostal Evangel.
1956–Chi Alpha Manual, the first national training manual was
published.
1958–William Menzies became the second campus advisor for national Chi Alpha.
1959–Twenty-one campus groups officially chartered.
1960s
1960–Chi Alpha state–wide and district retreats begin.
1963–First full-time national college youth representative named–Lee Shultz.
1964–Second national college youth representative named–Russell Cox.
–Campus Life is published, and first Chi Alpha student center opens at the University of California-Berkeley.
1965–Third national college youth representative named–Rick Howard, and in 1966 he edited the second Chi Alpha Manual.
1968–Fourth national college youth representative named–Jerry Sandidge.
–The first two Chi Alpha district leaders: K.K. John (Minnesota) and Jim Seregow (Michigan) were named.
1969–A total of seventy-four Chi Alpha groups had organized nationwide.
1970s
1970–First District Chi Alpha Directors (DXAD) Conference, Springfield, Missouri.
–Jerry Sandidge, the fourth national Chi Alpha representative transitions to become the first AG world missionary to university students.
1971–Fifth national college youth representative named–C. David Gable
1972–First regional SALT Conference, South Central, Waxahachie, Texas.
1975–First campus churches planted in Urbana, IL, Lincoln, NE, Houston, Texas.
Seattle, Washington, Athens, Ohio, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1975–First national Student Activist Leadership Training (SALT), Springfield, Missouri.
1976–First Institute of Campus Ministry (ICM), Springfield, Missouri.
1977–First Campus Ministers Conference (CMC), Springfield, Missouri.
–The “San Antonio Seven” writes Chi Alpha’s Fourfold Philosophy
–The first Chi Alpha intern, Greg Smith, and internship program conducted at Western Washington University, Bellingham, begins.
1978–Dennis Gaylor becomes national college youth training coordinator, a second national staff position in Chi Alpha.
1979–Dave Gable resigns as national Chi Alpha leader.
–Dennis Gaylor is appointed as the new national leader for Chi Alpha.
–According to district reports, Chi Alpha has contact with 205 campuses; with 51 campus minister-led, 32 AG pastor-led, and 132 student-led.
–The last issue of CAM is published November 1979.
1980s
1980–Campus Leaders Fellowscrip, 20 page bimonthly publication for campus leaders.
1981–International Student Friendship Ministry (ISFM) begins with David Schaumburg, national coordinator.
–Campus 80s initiative led by Howard N. Kenyon is launched.
1982–Campus Leaders Notebook training manual published with the new fourfold Chi Alpha philosophy.
1983–First nine regional Chi Alpha representatives appointed.
1986–Chi Alpha makes historic move to Assemblies of God U.S. Missions, which is ratified at following General Council.
1987–Campus-Missionary-in-Training (CMIT) adopted as national internship program.
1989–National Wave of Prayer launched at Sixth National SALT.
1990s
1990–Arizona 38 adopts ten strategies for campus ministry in the 1990s.
1992–National missions appointment for local campus missionaries begins.
–Chi Alpha forges first resident national staff team.
1993–Seven national Chi Alpha leaders met in Colorado to bring fresh vision to Chi Alpha resulting in a new vision statement, “Reconciling Students to Christ: Transforming the University, the Marketplace, and the World,” and added prayer to the Chi Alpha fourfold philosophy updating it to a fivefold.
1993– After a thorough study and long debate Chi Alpha campus ministers agree to stay with the organizational name Chi Alpha.
1996–ChiAlpha.com web site launched.
Chi Alpha introduces Campus Missionary Associate (CMA) personnel category.
1997–First Chi Alpha Family Camp, Colorado Rockies.
21st Century
2000s
2000–First World SALT in Los Angeles, California.
–The Institute of Campus Ministry (ICM) name is changed to Reach the University Institute (RUI).
–Chi Alpha’s conducts First Capital Campaign, “Expanding the Reach,” raising $210,000.
2001–AG World Missions Commission on University Ministries is formed.
2002–Chi Alpha student missions magazine adopts the name Expeditions.
2004–Chi Alpha 2010 Think Tank in Salt Lake City identified six core values and refreshed vision and mission statements, and outlined six strategic initiatives.
2005–First pioneering boot camp held during Reach the University Institute.
–First World Missions Summit (TWMS) held in Louisville, Kentucky.
–“Give a Year and Pray about a Lifetime” slogan introduced, and soon “Every student goes, gives and prays” motto followed.
2006–“Community of Mission” replaces “Community of Witness” in the Chi Alpha Philosophy.
–Dick Schroeder starts the CMIT Directors Boot Camp in Bozeman, Montana.
–Chi Alpha introduces Area Director role.
2009–Chi Alpha Connection Newsletter begins.
2010s
2010–Chi Alpha 2015 strategic plan introduced at the Campus Missions Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
–XAi is the new name for Chi Alpha’s International Student Friendship Ministries, and welcome was added to the “every student goes, give and prays.
2011–First African American Leadership Conference is held in the Great Lakes.
2013–Dennis Gaylor, Sixth National Director, retires after almost 35 years.
–Bob Marks appointed interim national director for one year.
2014–E. Scott Martin begins as the new senior national director of Chi Alpha.
2015–Campus Missions Conference returns to Phoenix, Arizona.
–Financial advancement and alumni development are launched.
–The national level resident staff team increases, and national Chi Alpha opens up an additional office–Zimmerman Building–to accommodate missionary personnel.
2017–The World Missions Summit IV in Houston, Texas with 6,000 students and missionaries.
–A Chi Alpha Foundation was launched
2018–Campus Missions Conference has 1100 campus missionaries and families attend.
2018–Chi Alpha Expeditions student missions had the largest number of teams (531) and participants (4,655) in its history.
2019–The Inaugural Chi Alpha Marketplace Summit was held in Washington D.C.
–A Chi Alpha endowment fund was established.
2020s
2020–According to the AG U.S. Missions 2020 “Faces in the Field,” fact sheet, there were 323 nationally appointed Chi Alpha missionaries, including spouses, and 22 missionary candidates.
–There are 40 national Campus Missionary-in-Training programs that represent 71 campuses in 8 regions—27 classic models, 14 hub models which includes 30 satellite campuses, and there are 221 CMIT interns.
–The 2019-2020 Chi Alpha has chapters on 3o4 campuses and 1,447 affiliated staff, including volunteers. A new category, Career associates accounts for 4 percent (61).
–The are 21,945 students involved in Chi Alpha nationwide based on 2018–2019 census.
–The departmental budget exceeds $2 million and the funding of Chi Alpha missionaries is $25 million.
2020–Chi Alpha missionaries and associates relocated from Zimmerman Building to what was informally called “the Jordan,” and officially the national Chi Alpha ministry center.
–The national Chi Alpha ministry center has 27 staff members (salaried employees, missionaries, and missionary associates).