These fraternities come into being through the personal initiative of Orthodox individuals and are usually focused on various activities that are seen as being lacking; common activities being internal mission (ie on uplifting piety in one's own country), external [[evangelism]] (ie going to other countries to spread Orthodoxy), charitable work or fellowship. The fraternities, no matter how influential, do not have a special place in the Church being as they are private endeavours. If they are part of the Church, they are under the [[jurisdiction ]] of the local [[bishop]]. Some fraternities restrict their membership to [[celibate]] members (either [[monastic]] or unmarried, where membership ends in the event of [[marriage]]) or, sometimes, regard permanent [[celibacy ]] as a condition of membership.

Fraternities are not new in the Church, and have existed since the first century. There are reports of the fraternity of the ''Spoudaioi'', in which St [[Anthony the Great|Anthony]] took part in; the ''Parabalaneis'', etc. Some fraternities were founded such luminaries as Sts Ss [[John Chrysostom]], [[Clement of Alexandria]], and [[Gregory Palamas]]. In the modern era, there are fraternities with various names in many places having varied objectives.