Patria is a Greek word used three times in the New Testament (Luke 2:4, Acts 3:25, Ephesians 3:15) and translated as "linage, kindred or family". The word itself speaks of paternal descent, that is it refers to a group of families or a whole race or nation.
Ephesians 3:14-16
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
NKJV
Vine's explains the reference in Ephesians as relating to all those who are spiritually related to God the Father and thus being united to one another in "family" fellowship. Thayer's indicates the word is used for a race, tribe or group of families, all of whom lay claim to a common origin.
Patria Fellowship is an association of churches and ministries with common vision. Although each individual church or ministry may have its own distinctive (just as each individual member of a family has their own distinct identity), we are connected by our common strand of spiritual DNA.
Churches have long been considered families, but when it comes to relationships among churches and ministries, governmental and denominational mindsets have often won the day. It is our desire that Patria Fellowship extend the concept of family upward as we relate to one another as a clan or tribe of families striving together to advance the Kingdom of God, our Father.
