ATLANTA, GA — In early January 2026, collegiate leaders from Beta Upsilon Chi chapters across the country gathered in Atlanta for BYX Leadership Circle, a multi-day experience to strengthen and align young men entrusted with leading national BYX chapters.
Hosted at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center and WinShape Camps property, the gathering brought together over 70 chapter presidents and pledge captains at the outset of the Spring semester.
This annual experience included teaching, collaborative workshops, prayer, worship, and unstructured time together, allowing leaders to step away from the immediate pressures of campus life and reflect.
For Ford Robbins, chapter president at Florida State University, the weekend began with hesitation. With the semester just starting and his chapter’s first Rush event scheduled that same weekend, he admitted he was not looking forward to attending.
“My mind was quickly changed,” Robbins said, “when I saw upon arrival how much thought and intentionality went into shaping us into strong, Christlike leaders.” He described the encouragement of being surrounded by other presidents from chapters of all sizes who were experiencing the same mixture of stress, preparation, and anticipation. “It was so encouraging to see guys who were preparing for the same things I was.”
Robbins said the most significant takeaway from the weekend was a deeper understanding of what it means to keep the Lord at the center of leadership. “I had heard that phrase before, but I don’t think I really understood it,” he said. “I now realize that to keep the Lord at the center is to trust that no matter how hard you try to plan a good chapter, event, or semester, nothing can go right unless you trust that God already has a plan written out.”
That refrain resonated with many in attendance. Ethan Johnson, chapter president at Purdue University said, “Circle helped me re-center my leadership and identity around the Lord.”
Jonathan Campbell of Kennesaw State University spoke of arriving with dread and leaving feeling full, encouraged, and strengthened through shared brotherhood. “These men are living the same life I am—just on a completely different campus,” Campbell said.
Pledge captains also found clarity and renewed calling. “The anxiety left, and I was filled with excitement and clarity for the semester ahead,” said Luke Wells, Pledge Captain at the University of Oklahoma Chapter
As BYX continues to expand across the country, Leadership Circle remains a key investment in forming Christian fraternity leaders who live faithfully and lead courageously.