They are called Baptists. The name comes from the word baptize, which is translated from Greek as “to dip”, “to baptize by immersing in water.” According to this teaching, one must be baptized not in infancy, but at a conscious age by immersion in consecrated water. In a word, a Baptist is a Christian who consciously accepts his faith. He believes that a person's salvation lies in wholehearted faith in Christ.
History of origin
Baptist communities began to form in the early seventeenth century in Holland, but their founders were not Dutch, but English Congregationalists who were forced to flee to the mainland to avoid persecution by the Church of England. And so, in the second decade of the 17th century, namely in 1611, a new Christian teaching was formulated for the English, who, by the will of fate, lived in the capital of the Netherlands - Amsterdam. A year later, the Baptist Church was founded in England. At the same time, the first community professing this faith arose. Later, in 1639, the first Baptists appeared in North America. This sect became widespread in the New World, especially in the USA. Every year the number of its adherents grew with incredible speed. Over time, evangelical Baptists also spread throughout the world: to the countries of Asia and Europe, Africa and Australia, well, and both Americas. By the way, during the American Civil War, most black slaves accepted this faith and became its ardent followers.
Spread of Baptistism in Russia
Until the 70s of the 19th century, people in Russia practically did not know who Baptists were. What kind of faith unites people who call themselves this way? The first community of adherents of this faith appeared in St. Petersburg, its members called themselves Evangelical Christians. Baptistism came here from Germany along with foreign masters, architects and scientists invited by the Russian Tsars Alexei Mikhailovich and Peter Alekseevich. This movement was most widespread in the Tauride, Kherson, Kyiv, and Ekaterinoslav provinces. Later it reached Kuban and Transcaucasia.
The first Baptist in Russia was Nikita Isaevich Voronin. He was baptized in 1867. Baptistism and evangelicalism are very close to each other, but they are nevertheless considered two separate directions in Protestantism, and in 1905, in the Northern capital, their adherents created the Union of Evangelists and the Union of Baptists. In the first years of Soviet power, attitudes towards any religious movements became prejudiced, and Baptists had to go underground. However, during the Patriotic War, both Baptists and evangelicals again became more active and united, creating the Union of Evangelical Christian Baptists of the USSR. After the war, they were joined by the Pentecostal sect.
Baptist ideas
The main aspiration in life for adherents of this faith is service to Christ. The Baptist Church teaches that one must live in harmony with the world, but be not of this world, that is, obey earthly laws, but honor only Jesus Christ with one’s heart. The basis of Baptistism, which emerged as a radical Protestant bourgeois movement, is the principle of individualism. Baptists believe that a person's salvation depends only on the individual himself, and that the church cannot be a mediator between him and God. The only true source of faith is the Gospel - the Holy Scripture, only in it can you find answers to all questions and, by following all the commandments, all the rules contained in this holy book, you can save your soul. Every Baptist is sure of this. This is an undeniable truth for him. All of them do not recognize church sacraments and holidays, and do not believe in the miraculous power of icons.
Baptism in Baptistism
Adherents of this faith undergo the rite of baptism not in infancy, but in adulthood, since a Baptist is a believer who is fully aware of why he needs baptism and treats it as a spiritual rebirth. In order to become a member of the community and be baptized, candidates must later go through repentance at a prayer meeting. The baptism process includes immersion in water, followed by the ceremony of breaking bread.
These two rituals symbolize faith in spiritual union with the Savior. Unlike the Orthodox and Catholic churches, which consider baptism a sacrament, that is, a means of salvation, for Baptists this step demonstrates conviction in the correctness of their religious views. Only after a person fully understands the depth of faith, only then will he have the right to go through the rite of baptism and become one of the members of the Baptist community. The spiritual leader performs this ritual, helping his ward to plunge into the water, only after he was able to go through all the tests and convince members of the community of the inviolability of his faith.
Baptist attitudes
According to this teaching, the sinfulness of the world outside the community is inevitable. Therefore, they advocate strict adherence to moral standards. The Evangelical Christian Baptist should completely abstain from the use of alcoholic beverages, the use of curses and curses, etc. Mutual support, modesty and responsiveness are encouraged. All members of the community should take care of each other and help those in need. One of the main responsibilities of every Baptist is to convert dissenters to their faith.
Baptist creed
In 1905, the First World Convention of Baptist Christians took place in London. On it, the Symbol of the Apostolic Faith was established as the basis of the doctrine. The following principles were also adopted:
1. Only people who have been baptized can be adherents of the Church, that is, an Evangelical Christian Baptist is a spiritually reborn person.
2. The Bible is the only truth, in it you can find answers to any questions, it is an infallible and unshakable authority both in matters of faith and in practical life.
3. The universal (invisible) church is one for all Protestants.
4. The knowledge of Baptism and the Lord's Vespers are taught only to baptized, that is, regenerated people.
5. Local communities are independent in practical and spiritual matters.
6. All members of the local community have equal rights. This means that even an ordinary Baptist is a member of the community who has the same rights as a preacher or spiritual leader. By the way, the early Baptists were against it, but today they themselves create something like ranks within their church.
7. For everyone - both believers and non-believers - there is freedom of conscience.
8. Church and state must be separated from each other.
Members of evangelical congregations gather several times a week to listen to a sermon on a particular topic. Here are some of them:
- About suffering.
- Heavenly mess.
- What is holiness?
- Life is in victory and abundance.
- Can you listen?
- Evidence of the Resurrection.
- The secret of family happiness.
- The first ever breaking of bread, etc.
Listening to the sermon, adherents of the faith try to find answers to the questions that tormented them. Anyone can read a sermon, but only after special preparation, acquiring sufficient knowledge and skills in order to speak publicly in front of a large group of fellow believers. The main worship service for Baptists is held weekly, on Sunday. The community sometimes meets on weekdays to pray, study, and discuss information found in the Bible. The service takes place in several stages: sermon, singing, instrumental music, reading of poems on spiritual themes, as well as retelling of biblical stories.
Baptist holidays
Followers of this church movement or sect, as it is commonly called in our country, have their own special calendar of holidays. Every Baptist reveres them sacredly. This is a list that consists of both general Christian holidays and solemn days unique to this church. Below is their complete list.
- Any Sunday is the day of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- The first Sunday of each month according to the calendar is the day of breaking bread.
- Christmas.
- Baptism.
- Meeting of the Lord.
- Annunciation.
- Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem.
- Holy Thursday.
- Resurrection (Easter).
- Ascension.
- Pentecost (the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles).
- Transfiguration.
- Harvest Festival (exclusively Baptist holiday).
- Unity Day (celebrated since 1945 in memory of the unification of evangelists and Baptists).
- New Year.
World Famous Baptists
The followers of this religious movement, which has spread in more than 100 countries of the world, not only Christian, but also Muslim, and even Buddhist, are also world-famous writers, poets, public figures, etc.
For example, the Baptists were the English writer (Bunyan), who is the author of the book "The Pilgrim's Progress"; the great civil rights activist, John Milton; Daniel Defoe is the author of one of the most famous works of world literature - the adventure novel "Robinson Crusoe"; Martin Luther King, who was an ardent fighter for the rights of black slaves in the United States. In addition, major businessmen the Rockefeller brothers were Baptists.
The word Baptist originates from the original texts of the New Testament, which were written in Greek. Translated from Greek, Baptism (Βάπτισμα) means baptism, immersion. From this general term comes a movement in Christianity that pays special attention to baptism. This is not accidental, since through baptism a person becomes part of the Church. Baptism is a special covenant between God and man. Baptism shows the seriousness and depth of a person’s personal faith, and the degree of awareness of his actions in following God. Thus, the attitude towards baptism is a serious point, indicating the truth of a particular direction in Christianity and the degree of its closeness to Biblical teaching.
So who are Baptists?
First of all, Baptists are a community of people who believe in Jesus Christ. What are the characteristics of Baptists?
1. A Baptist is a person born again by faith in Jesus Christ. Baptists believe that each person must personally and consciously come to a time in his life when he can believe in Jesus Christ as his Savior.
2. A Baptist is a person who recognizes the exclusive authority of the Bible. Baptists believe that the Bible is the Word of God and contains no errors. 2 Tim. 3:16 " All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness...." The Bible must be the foundation of every creed. Baptists may accept different "confessions of faith." However, no human-made document of confession has absolute power over the Church. The Word of God is the supreme authority and Baptists recognize its sufficiency.
3. A Baptist is a person who recognizes the lordship of Jesus Christ in his life and the life of the Church. It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is at the center of Baptist life, worship and service. Col. 1:18-19 " He is the head of the body of the Church; He is the firstfruits, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the preeminence: For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.».
4. A Baptist is a person whose understanding of God is based on belief in the Holy Trinity. Baptists believe in the Biblical teaching of God as eternally existing and One in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the Father who created the visible and invisible world, our universe and everything that exists in it, and who has an amazing plan and wonderful purpose for every person's life. God is the Son, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ, who became the sacrifice of atonement for the sins of all mankind. His nature was entirely Divine and, at certain times, human. This is a great mystery that is beyond the control of the human mind. His birth of the Virgin Mary, His holy and sinless life, His willing death for others, and His promise to return lie at the foundation of the Baptist faith. God is the Holy Spirit. John 14:16,17 " And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; and you know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you" The Holy Spirit dwells in believers in Christ and guides them in all that they do as He gives us understanding of the Word of God.
5. A Baptist is a person who recognizes a certain degree of autonomy for each specific local church community as part of the Universal Church. No person or organization outside the church community has supreme power or the right of absolute control over it. Each local congregation, like the early New Testament Church, is a community of born-again, baptized Christians united in Christ to worship God and serve primarily in the area where they live and also throughout the world.
Baptists do not have any hierarchy that has absolute authority over a particular local church community. At the same time, Baptists recognize the spiritual authority of ministers elected by the Church and delegate to them a certain part of administrative powers in accordance with Biblical teaching.
The Lord Jesus Christ established two main sacraments for the Church: the Breaking of Bread (Eucharist or Lord's Supper) and Baptism. The Church must observe these sacraments until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The word "Baptist", derived from the Greek word for "immersion" and translated into Russian as "baptism", implies that baptism is performed, if possible, by immersing the believer's entire body in water.
6. A Baptist is a person who is deeply committed to preaching the Gospel throughout the world and believes in fulfilling the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ: Matt.28:19,20 " Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen" Baptists understand that Jesus Christ has a desire to save the whole world, and the more a believer approaches Christ, the more missionary activity will occupy a larger part in his life.
7. A Baptist is a person who supports and defends the possibility of free confession of Jesus Christ to any person in any territory. Baptists believe that Church and State should be separate in their functions, and that this will be better for both Church and State. Throughout the centuries of Christian history, whenever the state has been under the control of the Church, or the Church has been under the control of the state, both have declined, corruption has prevailed, and true religious and civil freedom have suffered.
These basic features provide each person with a picture that points to the uniqueness of the community of Christians who call themselves Baptists.
Thus, Baptists are part of the Universal Church, who in their life and ministry voluntarily unite around our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the authority of the Word of God!
Jesus says: “...I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it”. (Matt. 16:18)
In Lithuania, Baptists became widely known from the middle of the 19th century. In Klaipeda, the Evangelical Baptist Church began its life in 1841. Some Baptist churches in Lithuania are united in the Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Lithuania (LEBBS), other churches cooperate in a decentralized manner.
In 2001, the 12th Union of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Lithuania received legal recognition from the State of Lithuania as a cultural and spiritual heritage (
The Lord Jesus Christ appeared on earth two thousand years ago to save all humanity from the curse, sin and death that became his companions from the moment his ancestors Adam and Eve sinned. And now, in order to better understand who Baptists are from the point of view of Orthodoxy, it is necessary to turn to the moment of formation of the True Church, when God, with the help of his disciples-apostles, created the Church as His kind of mystical body, and through church sacraments communication with Him began to take place. Therefore, people who believed in Christ began to go to church and through the action of the Holy Spirit received healing of the body, peace and peace in the soul. But then who are the Baptists, where did they come from?
Dissenters, heretics and sectarians
To preserve the unity of faith, the Church limited and established laws and rules for its existence. Anyone who violated these laws was called schismatics or sectarians, and the teachings they preached were called heresy. The Church looked at schisms as one of the greatest sins committed against it.
The Holy Fathers equated this sin with the murder of a person and with idolatry; even the blood of a martyr could not atone for this sin. There are an infinite number of schisms in the history of the Church. Church rules begin to be violated - first one, then automatically another, and as a result, the True Orthodox Faith is distorted.
God's grace
All this will inevitably lead to destruction, like that barren vine of the vineyard about which the Lord spoke, which will be burned. The worst thing here is that the Grace of God retreats from such schismatics. These people can no longer understand the Truth and think that they are doing God’s work by spreading lies about the Church, not knowing that in this way they are going against God Himself. All kinds of sects are created in large numbers, and just as many of them fall apart. Therefore, it is not possible to list them by name, date of creation and the leaders who lead them; we will focus only on the most important ones, but more on that a little later.
Who are Baptists from the point of view of Orthodoxy
In order to save his soul, each person must draw the necessary conclusions about the true Orthodox faith and not fall for the bait of schismatics and sectarians, but receive Grace and be in unity with the entire Orthodox world. After all these facts that you definitely need to know, you can approach the topic of who Baptists are. So, from the point of view of the Orthodox Church, Baptists are sectarians who are lost in their views and have nothing to do with the Church of Christ and the salvation of God. According to the Orthodox Church, they interpret the Bible incorrectly and falsely, like all other sectarians and heretics. Turning to them is a great sin for the human soul. Some do not have a clear idea of who Baptists are; photographs of different sects give an approximate answer, but we will try and further consider this question more deeply.
The Holy Fathers of the Church are the true and only source of spiritual enlightenment, this also applies to the Holy Scriptures.
Who are Baptists? Sect?
In Eastern Europe, Baptistism is most widespread. Baptists are a Protestant sect that was founded in England in 1633. At first they called themselves “brothers,” then “Baptists,” sometimes “Catabaptists” or “baptized Christians.”
The answer to questions about who Baptists are and why they are called that way can begin with the fact that the word “Baptisto” itself is translated from Greek as “I immerse.” This sect was led in its initial formation by John Smith, and when a significant part of its representatives moved to North America, it was led there by Roger Wiliam. These sects began to be divided first into two, and then into many more different factions. And this process still does not stop in any way, since communities, associations or communes do not have mandatory symbols, do not tolerate any symbolic books, and do not have administrative guardianship. All they acknowledge is the Apostles' Creed.
Baptist doctrine
The main thing on which Baptist teaching is based is the recognition of Holy Scripture as the only source of doctrine. They reject the baptism of children, only blessing them. According to Baptist rules, baptism should be performed only after the awakening of personal faith in a person, after 18 years of age and renunciation of a sinful life. Without this, this ritual has no force and is simply unacceptable. Baptists consider baptism to be an outward sign of confession, and thus they deny the participation of God in this main sacrament, which reduces the process to mere human actions.
Service and management
Having clarified a little about who Baptists are, let’s try to figure out how their services are held. They hold a weekly service on Sunday, with sermons and extemporaneous prayers, and singing with instrumental music. On weekdays, Baptists can also additionally gather for prayer and discussion of the Bible, reading spiritual poems and poems.
According to their structure and management, Baptists are divided into independent separate communities, or congregations. This is why they may be called Congregationalists. Continuing the topic “Evangelical Christians (Baptists) – who are they?”, it should be noted that no matter what name they bear, all Baptists place moral restraint and freedom of conscience above teaching. They do not consider marriage a sacrament, but they recognize the blessing as necessary, receiving it through community officials or elders (pastors). There are also some forms of disciplinary action - this is excommunication and public admonition.
When asking the question of who Baptists are and what their faith is based on, it is worth noting that the mysticism of the sect is revealed in the predominance of feelings over reason. The entire doctrine is built on extreme liberalism, which is based on the doctrine of Luther and Calvin about predestination.
The difference between Baptists and Lutheranism
Baptistism differs from Lutheranism by the unconditional and consistent implementation of the main provisions of Lutheranism about the Holy Scriptures, the Church and salvation. Baptistism is also distinguished by great hostility towards the Orthodox Church. Baptists are more prone to anarchy and Judaism than Lutherans. And in general, they do not have a doctrine about the Church as such; they reject it, like the entire church hierarchy. But in order to get a complete answer to the question of who Christian Baptists are, let’s plunge a little into the times of the Soviet Union. It was there that they became most widespread.
Evangelical Christian Baptists
It should be noted that Baptist communities received their main development after the second half of the 19th century. This happened mainly in the Caucasus, in the south and east of Ukraine, as well as in St. Petersburg. According to tsarist policy, because of active missionary activity, Baptists were sent into exile in Siberia, away from the centers of their education. Due to this, in 1896, Baptist migrants from the Caucasus formed the first community in Western Siberia, the center of which was Omsk. To answer more precisely the question of who Evangelical Baptists are, we note that several decades passed before a denomination occurred - Evangelical Christian Baptists (ECB) appeared, who adhered to the Baptist faith in the territory of the former USSR. Their direction was formed from two movements that arose in the south of Russia from the Baptist communities of the 60s of the 19th century and the Evangelical Christians of the 70s of the 19th century. Their unification took place in the fall of 1944, and already in 1945 the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christians and Baptists was formed in Moscow.
Who are Separate Baptists?
As mentioned above, sects are constantly changing and further splitting into new formations, therefore Baptist communities that have left the Council of Churches of the ECB are called separated or autonomous. In the 70-80s they were registered as autonomous communities, of which by the 90s a huge number had appeared due to active missionary activity. And they never joined centralized associations. As for the topic “Who are the separated Baptists in Sukhumi,” this is exactly how this community was formed. It, having separated from the main center, began to conduct its autonomous activities on the territory of Abkhazia with the main center in Sukhumi.
The same applies to the question of who the separated Baptists in Mukhumi are. All of these are separate Baptist societies that are not subordinate to anyone and lead an independent life in accordance with their own rules.
Newly formed Baptist congregations
Recently a new direction has emerged for the Tbilisi Baptist community. Interestingly, she went even further in her creed, practically changing everything beyond recognition. Its innovations are very, very surprising, since during the service all those present use five senses, the pastors wear black clothes, the ritual uses candles, bell ringing and music, and Baptists also make the sign of the cross. Almost everything is in the spirit of the Orthodox Church. These Baptists even organized a seminary and school of icon painting. This explains the joy of the schismatic and anathematized Filaret, the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, who once even presented the order to the leader of this community.
Baptists and Orthodox. Differences
Baptists, like Orthodox Christians, believe that they are followers of Christ and their faith is true. For both, the Holy Scripture is the only source of teaching, but Baptists completely reject the Holy Tradition (written documents and experience of the entire Church). Baptists interpret the books of the Old and New Testaments in their own way, as anyone understands. Among the Orthodox, an ordinary person is prohibited from doing this. The interpretation of the sacred books was written by the holy fathers under the special influence of the Holy Spirit.
Orthodox believers believe that salvation is achieved only through moral deeds, and there is no guaranteed salvation, since a person wastes this gift through his sins. The Orthodox brings his salvation closer through the purification of the soul through the sacraments of the Church, pious life and observance of the commandments.
Baptists claim that salvation has already been accomplished at Calvary, and now nothing is required for it, and it does not even matter how righteously a person lives. They also reject the cross, icons and other Christian symbols. For Orthodox Christians, these components are of absolute value.
Baptists reject the heavenly holiness of the Mother of God and do not recognize saints. For the Orthodox, the Mother of God and the righteous saints are protectors and intercessors for the soul before the Lord.
Baptists do not have a priesthood, while among Orthodox Christians, only a priest can perform services and all church sacraments.
Baptists do not have a special organization of worship; they pray in their own words. The Orthodox strictly follow the Liturgy.
When baptizing, Baptists immerse the person being baptized once in water, Orthodox - three times. Baptists reject the ordeal of the soul after death and therefore do not perform funeral services for the deceased. With them, when he dies, he immediately goes to heaven. The Orthodox have a special funeral service and separate prayers for the dead.
Conclusion
I would like to remind you that the Holy Church is not a club of interests, but something that comes down to us from the Lord. The Church of Christ, created by his disciples-apostles, was united on earth for a whole thousand years. But in 1054, its western part fell away from the One Church of Christ, which changed the Creed and declared itself the Roman Catholic Church; it was she who provided fertile soil for everyone else to form their own churches and sects. Now, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, those who have fallen away from the True Orthodox Faith and preach faith in Christ differently from Orthodoxy do not belong to the One Holy and Apostolic Church, founded by the Savior himself. Unfortunately, this comes from the fact that many do not realize the greatness and height of their Christian calling, they do not know their duties and live in wickedness like pagans.
The Holy Apostle Paul wrote in his prayer: “Walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called, otherwise you will not be children of God, but of Satan, fulfilling his lusts.”
Baptistism(from the Greek "baptizo" - "immerse in water", "baptize") - religious movement related to Christian Protestantism. Founder baptism - John Smith(1554-1612). The main feature of the movement is refusal of infant baptism, the belief that a person must choose faith consciously in adulthood, this is the only way it can be observed principle of voluntariness.
Baptist doctrine is based on the following tenets:
- The only authority in matters of faith and everyday life is Bible;
- In the Church there can only be reborn people(those who consciously accepted baptism);
- Greater freedom for local church communities in independently solving practical issues;
- Freedom of conscience;
- Separation of Church and State(until recently, most orthodox Baptists rejected the oath, military service and courts).
The birth of Baptistism occurred in 1609 in Amsterdam, when several English Puritans, under the leadership of John Smith, founded their own religious community. Three years later baptism entered England- exactly there dogmas were finally formulated creeds.
Baptistism is divided into two movements:
- General Baptists;
- Private Baptists.
General Baptists it is believed that Christ his victim atoned for the sins of all people without exception. To find salvation you need complicity of God's and human will. From point of view private Baptists, which is close to Calvinism and other Protestant movements, Christ atoned for the sins of only a select part of humanity. Human salvation can only be achieved by God's will, it predetermined from the start, and cannot be affected by good or bad deeds. John Smith and his followers considered themselves General Baptists. The first community of private Baptists was formed in 1638 in England.
Baptists believe in Second Coming of Christ, when the resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgment occurs, which will reward everyone according to their deserts, the righteous will go to heaven, and the wicked will be doomed to eternal torment.
In the Baptist Church there are elders, deacons and preachers. At the same time, the structure of the church very democratic— the most important issues are resolved jointly at church councils or meetings of believers.
In a relationship rituals Baptists do not strictly adhere to the canon, unlike, for example, the Catholic or Orthodox churches. Sacred rites in Baptistism imply holding prayer meetings with the reading of sermons, fragments of Holy Scripture, the singing of psalms and hymns by all members of the community. Sometimes it is used musical accompaniment. The main worship service takes place in Sunday, although additional meetings may be held on weekdays.
Baptists pay great attention missionary activity to attract new adherents to your church. The founder of missionary work is considered William Carey who went to preach baptism to India in 1793. With virtually no education, Carrie, thanks to her brilliant mind achieved great success in missionary work, translated Bible in 25 languages.
Among famous people who professed Baptistism can be called: writers John Bunyan, whose book inspired Pushkin's poem "The Wanderer", the great English poet John Milton, writer Daniel Defoe- author of a novel about the adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Nobel Prize winner, fighter for black rights in the USA Martin Luther King.
In Russia Baptist communities arose in the second half of the 19th century, and by the beginning of the 20th century there were 20 thousand people professing Baptists.
In the 70s of the 20th century, the USSR developed three independent Baptist organizations:
- Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists;
- Union of Evangelical Christian Baptist Churches;
- Autonomous churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists.
Currently in the world there are 75 million Baptists- this is one of the most numerous Protestant movements. At the same time, about two thirds Baptist adherents live in USA.
