Changes

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 mission [[evangelism]] (ie going to other countries to spread Orthodoxy), [[charity|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 [[John Chrysostom]], [[Clement of Alexandria]], and [[Gregory Palamas]]. In the modern era, there are fraternities with various names in many places with having varied objectives.