title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In 2013 the presbyteries ratified the General Assembly's 2012 vote to allow the ordination of openly gay persons to the ministry and in 2014 the General Assembly voted to amend the church's constitution to define marriage as the union of two persons instead of the union of a man and woman, which was ratified (by the presbyteries) in 2015. This has led to the departure of several hundred congregations. The majority of churches leaving the Presbyterian Church (USA) have chosen to join the Evangelical Presbyterian Church or ECO. Few have chosen to join the larger more conservative Presbyterian Church in America, which does not permit female clergy.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Since 1983 the Presbyterian Youth Triennium has been held every three years at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, US, and is open to Presbyterian high school students throughout the world. The very first Youth Triennium was held in 1980 at Indiana University and the conference for teens is an effort of the Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest Presbyterian denomination in the nation; Cumberland Presbyterian Church; and Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, the first African-American denomination to embrace Presbyterianism in the reformed tradition.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Since 1907, Montreat, North Carolina has hosted a youth conference every year. In 1983, Montreat Conference Center became a National Conference Center of the PC(USA) when the northern and southern denominational churches reunited.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Constitution of PC(USA) is composed of two portions: Part I, the "Book of Confessions" and Part II, the "Book of Order". The "Book of Confessions" outlines the beliefs of the PC(USA) by declaring the creeds by which the Church's leaders are instructed and led. Complementing that is the "Book of Order" which gives the rationale and description for the organization and function of the Church at all levels. The "Book of Order" is currently divided into four sections – 1) The Foundations of Presbyterian Polity 2) The Form of Government, 3) The Directory For Worship, and 4) The Rules of Discipline.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Presbyterian Church (USA) has a representative form of government, known as presbyterian polity, with four levels of government and administration, as outlined in the "Book of Order". The councils (governing bodies) are as follows:


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: At the congregational level, the governing body is called the "session", from the Latin word "sessio", meaning "a sitting". The session is made up of the pastors of the church and all elders elected and installed to active service. Following a pattern set in the first congregation of Christians in Jerusalem described in the Book of Acts in the New Testament, the church is governed by "presbyters" (a term and category that includes elders and Ministers of Word and Sacrament, historically also referred to as "ruling or canon elders" because they "measure" the spiritual life and work of a congregation and ministers as "teaching elders").


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The elders are nominated by a nominating committee of the congregation; in addition, nominations from the floor are permissible. Elders are then elected by the congregation. All elders elected to serve on the congregation's session of elders are required to undergo a period of study and preparation for this order of ministry, after which the session examines the elders-elect as to their personal faith; knowledge of doctrine, government, and discipline contained in the Constitution of the church, and the duties of the office of elder. If the examination is approved, the session appoints a day for the service of ordination and installation. Session meetings are normally moderated by a called and installed pastor and minutes are recorded by a clerk, who is also an ordained presbyter. If the congregation does not have an installed pastor, the Presbytery appoints a minister member or elected member of the presbytery as moderator with the concurrence of the local church session. The moderator presides over the session as first among equals and also serves as a "liturgical" bishop over the ordination and installation of elders and deacons within a particular congregation.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The session guides and directs the ministry of the local church, including almost all spiritual and fiduciary leadership. The congregation as a whole has only the responsibility to vote on: 1) the call of the pastor (subject to presbytery approval) and the terms of call (the church's provision for compensating and caring for the pastor); 2) the election of its own officers (elders and deacons); 3) buying, mortgaging, or selling real property. All other church matters such as the budget, personnel matters, and all programs for spiritual life and mission, are the responsibility of the session. In addition, the session serves as an ecclesiastical court to consider disciplinary charges brought against church officers or members.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The session also oversees the work of the deacons, a second body of leaders also tracing its origins to the Book of Acts. The deacons are a congregational-level group whose duty is "to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress both within and beyond the community of faith." In some churches, the responsibilities of the deacons are taken care of by the session, so there is no board of deacons in that church. In some states, churches are legally incorporated and members or elders of the church serve as trustees of the corporation. However, "the power and duties of such trustees shall not infringe upon the powers and duties of the Session or of the board of deacons." The deacons are a ministry board but not a governing body.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: A "presbytery" is formed by all the congregations and the Ministers of Word and Sacrament in a geographic area together with elders selected (proportional to congregation size) from each of the congregations. Four special presbyteries are "non-geographical" in that they overlay other English-speaking presbyteries, though they are geographically limited to the boundaries of a particular synod (see below); it may be more accurate to refer to them as "trans-geographical." Three PC(USA) synods have a non-geographical presbytery for Korean language Presbyterian congregations, and one synod has a non-geographical presbytery for Native American congregations, the Dakota Presbytery. There are currently 166 presbyteries for the 8,813 congregations in the PC(USA).


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Only the presbytery (not a congregation, session, synod, or General Assembly) has the responsibility and authority to ordain church members to the ordered ministry of Word and Sacrament, also referred to as a Teaching Elder, to install ministers to (and/or remove them from) congregations as pastors, and to remove a minister from the ministry. A Presbyterian minister is a member of a presbytery. The General Assembly cannot ordain or remove a Teaching Elder, but the Office of the General Assembly does maintain and publish a national directory with the help of each presbytery's stated clerk. Bound versions are published bi-annually with the minutes of the General Assembly. A pastor cannot be a member of the congregation he or she serves as a pastor because his or her primary ecclesiastical accountability lies with the presbytery. Members of the congregation generally choose their own pastor with the assistance and support of the presbytery. The presbytery must approve the choice and officially install the pastor at the congregation, or approve the covenant for a temporary pastoral relationship. Additionally, the presbytery must approve if either the congregation or the pastor wishes to dissolve that pastoral relationship.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The presbytery has authority over many affairs of its local congregations. Only the presbytery can approve the establishment, dissolution, or merger of congregations. The presbytery also maintains a Permanent Judicial Commission, which acts as a court of appeal from sessions, and which exercises original jurisdiction in disciplinary cases against minister members of the presbytery.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: A presbytery has two elected officers: a moderator and a stated clerk. The Moderator of the presbytery is elected annually and is either a minister member or an elder commissioner from one of the presbytery's congregations. The Moderator presides at all presbytery assemblies and is the chief overseer at the ordination and installation of ministers in that presbytery. The stated clerk is the chief ecclesial officer and serves as the presbytery's executive secretary and parliamentarian in accordance with the church Constitution and Robert's Rules of Order. While the moderator of a presbytery normally serves one year, the stated clerk normally serves a designated number of years and may be re-elected indefinitely by the presbytery. Additionally, an Executive Presbyter (sometimes designated as General Presbyter, Pastor to Presbytery, Transitional Presbyter) is often elected as a staff person to care for the administrative duties of the presbytery, often with the additional role of a pastor to the pastors. Presbyteries may be creative in the designation and assignment of duties for their staff. A presbytery is required to elect a Moderator and a Clerk, but the practice of hiring staff is optional. Presbyteries must meet at least twice a year, but they have the discretion to meet more often and most do.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Presbyteries are organized within a geographical region to form a "synod". Each synod contains at least three presbyteries, and its elected voting membership is to include both elders and Ministers of Word and Sacrament in equal numbers. Synods have various duties depending on the needs of the presbyteries they serve. In general, their responsibilities (G-12.0102) might be summarized as: developing and implementing the mission of the church throughout the region, facilitating communication between presbyteries and the General Assembly, and mediating conflicts between the churches and presbyteries. Every synod elects a Permanent Judicial Commission, which has original jurisdiction in remedial cases brought against its constituent presbyteries, and which also serves as an ecclesiastical court of appeal for decisions rendered by its presbyteries' Permanent Judicial Commissions. Synods are required to meet at least biennially. Meetings are moderated by an elected synod Moderator with support of the synod's Stated Clerk. There are currently 16 synods in the PC(USA) and they vary widely in the scope and nature of their work. An ongoing current debate in the denomination is over the purpose, function, and need for synods.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The "General Assembly" is the highest governing body of the PC(USA). Until the 216th assembly met in Richmond, Virginia in 2004, the General Assembly met annually; since 2004, the General Assembly has met biennially in even-numbered years. It consists of commissioners elected by presbyteries (not synods), and its voting membership is proportioned with parity between elders and Ministers of Word and Sacrament. There are many important responsibilities of the General Assembly. Among them, "The Book of Order" lists these four:


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The General Assembly elects a moderator at each assembly who moderates the rest of the sessions of that assembly meeting and continues to serve until the next assembly convenes (two years later) to elect a new moderator or co-moderator. Currently, the denomination is served by Co-Moderators Elona Street-Stewart and Gregory Bentley, who were elected at the 224th General Assembly (2020). At the 223rd Assembly in St Louis, MO, Co-Moderators Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and Cindy Kohmann were elected. See a complete listing of past moderators at another Wikipedia Article.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: A Stated Clerk is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the Office of the General Assembly which conducts the ecclesiastical work of the church. The Office of the General Assembly carries out most of the ecumenical functions and all of the constitutional functions at the Assembly. The former Stated Clerk of the General Assembly is Gradye Parsons, who had served in that role since 2008 and was unanimously reelected in 2012. Parsons did not stand for re-election at the 222nd General Assembly meeting in 2016, and J. Herbert Nelson was elected Stated Clerk at the 2016 General Assembly meeting in Portland. Nelson is the first African American to be elected to the office, and is a third-generation Presbyterian pastor.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Stated Clerk is also responsible for the records of the denomination, a function formalized in 1925 when the General Assembly created the "Department of Historical Research and Conservation" as part of the Office of the General Assembly. The current "Department of History" is also known as the Presbyterian Historical Society.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Six agencies carry out the work of the General Assembly. These are the Office of the General Assembly, the Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, the Board of Pensions, the Presbyterian Foundation, and the Presbyterian Mission Agency (formerly known as the General Assembly Mission Council).


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The General Assembly elects members of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (PMAB) (formerly General Assembly Mission Council). There are 48 elected members of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board (40 voting members; 17 non-voting delegates), who represent synods, presbyteries, and the church at-large. Members serve one six-year term, with the exception of the present Moderator of the General Assembly (one two-year term), the past Moderator of the General Assembly (one two-year term), the moderator of Presbyterian Women (one three-year term), ecumenical advisory members (one two-year term, eligible for two additional terms), and stewardship and audit committee at-large members (one two-year term, eligible for two additional terms). Among the elected members' major responsibilities is the coordination of the work of the program areas in light of General Assembly mission directions, objectives, goals and priorities. The PMAB meets three times a year. The General Assembly elects an executive director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency who is the top administrator overseeing the mission work of the PC(USA). Past Executive Director of the PMA is Ruling Elder Linda Bryant Valentine(2006-2015), and Interim RE Tony De La Rosa. Elected in 2018 is Teaching Elder Diane Givens Moffett (2018- ).


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) is the highest Church court of the denomination. It composed of one member elected by the General Assembly from each of its constituent synods (16). It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Synod Permanent Judicial Commission cases involving issues of Church Constitution, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission issues Authoritative Interpretations of The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) through its decisions.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Two other seminaries are related to the PC(USA) by covenant agreement: Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, and Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: There are numerous colleges and universities throughout the United States affiliated with PC(USA). For a complete list, see the article Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities. For more information, see the article PC(USA) seminaries.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: While not affiliated with the PC(USA), Fuller Theological Seminary has educated many candidates for PC(USA) ministry and its president, Mark Labberton, is an ordained minister of the PC(USA).


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: When the United Presbyterian Church in the USA merged with the Presbyterian Church in the United States there were 3,131,228 members. Statistics shows steadily decline since 1983. (The combined membership of the PCUS and United Presbyterian Church peaked in 1965 at 4.25 million communicant members.)


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: According to the PC(USA) data collection, active membership is defined as a member who has been confirmed, or made similar profession of faith, has been baptized, and attends regularly. The reported data on active members do not include "inactive members." In addition to active members, the PC(USA) archives data on members who are baptized, but not confirmed, and who are inactive. For example, in 2005, the PC(USA) reported 2.3 million active members, 318,291 baptized, but not confirmed, members, and 466,889 inactive members; the total number of members in 2005 was 3.1 million.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The PC (USA) has had the sharpest decline in their active membership among the Protestant denominations in U.S.A. The denomination lost more than a million active members during last 14 years (2005-2019). As of 2021, the denomination has 1,193,770 active members and about 8,813 local congregations.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The average local Presbyterian Church has 148 members (the mean in 2018). About 37% of the total congregations report between 1 and 50 members. Another 23% report between 51 and 100 members. The average worship attendance of a local Presbyterian congregation is 77 (51.7% of members). The largest congregation in the PC(USA) is Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia, with a reported membership of 7,136 (2021). It was reported that about 32% of the Presbyterian members are over 71 years old (2021).


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Most PC(USA) members are white (92.9%). Other racial and ethnic members include African-Americans (3.1% of the total membership of the denomination), Asians (2.3%), Hispanics (1.2%), Native Americans (0.2%), and others (0.3%). Despite declines in the total membership of the PC(USA), the percentage of racial-ethnic minority members has stayed about the same since 1995. The ratio of female members (58%) to male members (42%) has also remained stable since the mid-1960s.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Presbyterian Church (USA) adheres to Reformed theology. The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church teaches:


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The session of the local congregation has a great deal of freedom in the style and ordering of worship within the guidelines set forth in the Directory for Worship section of the "Book of Order". Worship varies from congregation to congregation. The order may be very traditional and highly liturgical, or it may be very simple and informal. This variance is not unlike that seen in the "High Church" and "Low Church" styles of the Anglican Church. The "Book of Order" suggests a worship service ordered around five themes: "gathering around the Word, proclaiming the Word, responding to the Word, the sealing of the Word, and bearing and following the Word into the world." Prayer is central to the service and may be silent, spoken, sung, or read in unison (including the Lord's Prayer). Music plays a large role in most PC(USA) worship services and ranges from chant to traditional Protestant hymns, to classical sacred music, to more modern music, depending on the preference of the individual church and is offered prayerfully and not "for entertainment or artistic display." Scripture is read and usually preached upon. An offering is usually taken.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Directory for Worship in the Book of Order provides the directions for what must be, or may be included in worship. During the 20th century, Presbyterians were offered optional use of liturgical books:


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In regard to vestments, the Directory for Worship leaves that decision up to the ministers. Thus, on a given Sunday morning service, a congregation may see the minister leading worship in street clothes, Geneva gown, or an alb. Among the Paleo-orthodoxy and emerging church Presbyterians, clergy are moving away from the traditional black Geneva gown and reclaiming not only the more ancient Eucharist vestments of alb and chasuble, but also cassock and surplice (typically a full-length Old English style surplice which resembles the Celtic alb, an ungirdled liturgical tunic of the old Gallican Rite).


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Service for the Lord's Day is the name given to the general format or ordering of worship in the Presbyterian Church as outlined in its Constitution's Book of Order. There is a great deal of liberty given toward worship in that denomination, so while the underlying order and components for the Service for the Lord's Day is extremely common, it varies from congregation to congregation, region to region.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Typical Presbyterian Church USA Order of Worship would look like this. This is taken from Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, NYC


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The creation of the Service for the Lord's Day was one of the most positive contributions of the Worshipbook of 1970. The Book of Common Worship of 1993 leaned heavily upon this service.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Presbyterians are among the wealthiest religious groups and are disproportionately represented in American business, law, and politics. Many of the nation's oldest educational institutions, such as Princeton University, were founded by Presbyterian clergy or were associated with the Presbyterian Church.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Historically, Presbyterians were overrepresented among American scientific elite and Nobel Prize winners. According to "Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States" by Harriet Zuckerman, between 1901 and 1972, 72% of American Nobel Prize laureates have come from a Protestant background, mostly from Episcopalian, Presbyterian or Lutheran background.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The "Boston Brahmins", who were regarded as the nation's social and cultural elites, were often associated with the American upper class, Harvard University; and the Episcopal and the Presbyterian Church. Old money in the United States was typically associated with White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ("WASP") status, particularly with the Episcopal and Presbyterian Church.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Many Presbyterians have been Presidents, the latest being Ronald Reagan; and they represent 13% of the U.S. Senate, despite being only 2.2% (under 0.4% as of 2021) of the general population.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Presbyterians are among the wealthiest Christian denominations in the United States, Presbyterians tend also to be better educated and they have a high number of graduate (64%) and post-graduate degrees (26%) per capita.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: According to a 2014 study by the Pew Research Center, Presbyterians ranked as the fourth most financially successful religious group in the United States, with 32% of Presbyterians living in households with incomes of at least $100,000.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Presbyterian Church (USA) has, in the past, been a leading United States denomination in mission work, and many hospitals, clinics, colleges and universities worldwide trace their origins to the pioneering work of Presbyterian missionaries who founded them more than a century ago.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Currently, the church supports about 215 (70 as of 2021) missionaries abroad annually. Many churches sponsor missionaries abroad at the session level, and these are not included in official statistics.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: A vital part of the world mission emphasis of the denomination is building and maintaining relationships with Presbyterian, Reformed and other churches around the world, even if this is not usually considered missions.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The PC(USA) is a leader in disaster assistance relief and also participates in or relates to work in other countries through ecumenical relationships, in what is usually considered not missions, but deaconship.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) determines and approves ecumenical statements, agreements, and maintains correspondence with other Presbyterian and Reformed bodies, other Christians churches, alliances, councils, and consortia. Ecumenical statements and agreements are subject to the ratification of the presbyteries. The following are some of the major ecumenical agreements and partnerships.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The church is committed to "engage in bilateral and multilateral dialogues with other churches and traditions in order to remove barriers of misunderstanding and establish common affirmations." As of 2012 it is in dialog with the Episcopal Church, the Moravian Church, the Korean Presbyterian Church in America, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America, and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. It also participates in international dialogues through the World Council of Churches and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The most recent international dialogues include Pentecostal churches, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Orthodox Church in America, and others.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In 2011 the National Presbyterian Church in Mexico, in 2012 the Mizoram Presbyterian Church and in 2015 the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil along with the Evangelical Presbyterian and Reformed Church in Peru severed ties with the PCUSA because of the PCUSA's teaching with regard to homosexuality.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Presbyterian Church (USA) is in corresponding partnership with the National Council of Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the World Council of Churches. It is a member of Churches for Middle East Peace.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In 1997 the PCUSA and three other churches of Reformation heritage: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ, acted on an ecumenical proposal of historic importance, known as "A Formula of Agreement". The timing reflected a doctrinal consensus which had been developing over the past thirty-two years coupled with an increasing urgency for the church to proclaim a gospel of unity in contemporary society. In light of identified doctrinal consensus, desiring to bear visible witness to the unity of the Church, and hearing the call to engage together in God's mission, it was recommended:


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The agreement assumed the doctrinal consensus articulated in A Common Calling:The Witness of Our Reformation Churches in North America Today, and is to be viewed in concert with that document. The purpose of A Formula of Agreement is to elucidate the complementarity of affirmation and admonition as the basic principle of entering into full communion and the implications of that action as described in A Common Calling.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The 209th General Assembly (1997) approved A Formula of Agreement and in 1998 the 210th General Assembly declared full communion among these Protestant bodies.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Presbyterian Church (USA) is in corresponding partnership with the National Council of Churches, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, Christian Churches Together, and the World Council of Churches.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: As of June 2010, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches merged with the Reformed Ecumenical Council to form the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The result was a form of full communion similar to that outline in the Formula of Agreement, including orderly exchange of ministers.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The PC(USA) is one of nine denominations that joined to form the Consultation on Church Union, which initially sought a merger of the denominations. In 1998 the Seventh Plenary of the Consultation on Church Union approved a document "Churches in Covenant Communion: The Church of Christ Uniting" as a plan for the formation of a covenant communion of churches. In 2002 the nine denominations inaugurated the new relationship and became known as Churches Uniting in Christ. The partnership is considered incomplete until the partnering communions reconcile their understanding of ordination and devise an orderly exchange of clergy.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Paragraph G-6.0106b of the Book of Order, which was adopted in 1996, prohibited the ordination of those who were not faithful in heterosexual marriage or chaste in singleness. This paragraph was included in the Book of Order from 1997 to 2011, and was commonly referred to by its pre-ratification designation, "Amendment B". Several attempts were made to remove this from the Book of Order, ultimately culminating in its removal in 2011. In 2011, the Presbyteries of the PC(USA) passed Amendment 10-A permitting congregations to ordain openly gay and lesbian elders and deacons, and allowing presbyteries to ordain ministers without reference to the fidelity/chastity provision, saying "governing bodies shall be guided by Scripture and the confessions in applying standards to individual candidates".


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Many Presbyterian scholars, pastors, and theologians have been heavily involved in the debate over homosexuality over the years. The Presbyterian Church of India's cooperation with the Presbyterian Church (USA) was dissolved in 2012 when the PC(USA) voted to ordain openly gay clergy to the ministry. In 2012, the PC(USA) granted permission, nationally, to begin ordaining openly gay and lesbian clergy.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: Since 1980, the More Light Churches Network has served many congregations and individuals within American Presbyterianism who promote the full participation of all people in the PC(USA) regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Covenant Network of Presbyterians was formed in 1997 to support repeal of "Amendment B" and to encourage networking amongst like-minded clergy and congregations. Other organizations of Presbyterians, such as the Confessing Movement and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, have organized on the other side of the issue to support the fidelity/chastity standard for ordination, which was removed in 2011.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted to allow same-sex marriages on June 19, 2014, during its 221st General Assembly, making it one of the largest Christian denominations in the world to allow same-sex unions. This vote lifted a previous ban, and allows pastors to perform marriages in jurisdictions where it is legal. Additionally, the Assembly approved amending the Book of Order that would change the definition of marriage from "between a man and a woman" to "between two people, traditionally between a man and a woman".


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The 2006 "Report of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church", in theory, attempted to find common ground. Some felt that the adoption of this report provided for a clear local option mentioned, while the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Clifton Kirkpatrick went on record as saying, "Our standards have not changed. The rules of the Book of Order stay in force and all ordinations are still subject to review by higher governing bodies." The authors of the report stated that it is a compromise and return to the original Presbyterian culture of local controls. The recommendation for more control by local presbyteries and sessions is viewed by its opposition as a method for bypassing the constitutional restrictions currently in place concerning ordination and marriage, effectively making the constitutional "standard" entirely subjective.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In the General Assembly gathering of June 2006, Presbyterian voting Commissioners passed an "authoritative interpretation", recommended by the Theological Task Force, of the "Book of Order" (the church constitution). Some argued that this gave presbyteries the "local option" of ordaining or not ordaining anyone based on a particular presbytery's reading of the constitutional statute. Others argued that presbyteries have always had this responsibility and that this new ruling did not change but only clarified that responsibility. On June 20, 2006, the General Assembly voted 298 to 221 (or 57% to 43%) to approve such interpretation. In that same session on June 20, the General Assembly also voted 405 to 92 (with 4 abstentions) to uphold the constitutional standard for ordination requiring fidelity in marriage or chastity in singleness.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: The General Assembly of 2008 took several actions related to homosexuality. The first action was to adopt a different translation of the Heidelberg Catechism from 1962, removing the words "homosexual perversions" among other changes. This will require the approval of the 2010 and 2012 General Assemblies as well as the votes of the presbyteries after the 2010 Assembly. The second action was to approve a new Authoritative Interpretation of G-6.0108 of the "Book of Order" allowing for the ordaining body to make decisions on whether or not a departure from the standards of belief of practice is sufficient to preclude ordination. Some argue that this creates "local option" on ordaining homosexual persons. The third action was to replace the text of "Amendment B" with new text: "Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the Scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate's sincere efforts to adhere to these standards." This would have removed the "fidelity and chastity" clause. This third action failed to obtain the required approval of a majority of the presbyteries by June 2009. Fourth, a resolution was adopted to affirm the definition of marriage from Scripture and the Confessions as being between a man and a woman.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In July 2010, by a vote of 373 to 323, the General Assembly voted to propose to the presbyteries for ratification a constitutional amendment to remove from the Book of Order section G-6.0106.b. which included this explicit requirement for ordination: "Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman (W-4.9001), or chastity in singleness." This proposal required ratification by a majority of the 173 presbyteries within 12 months of the General Assembly's adjournment. A majority of presbytery votes was reached in May 2011. The constitutional amendment took effect July 10, 2011. This amendment shifted back to the ordaining body the responsibility for making decisions about whom they shall ordain and what they shall require of their candidates for ordination. It neither prevents nor imposes the use of the so-called "fidelity and chastity" requirement, but it removes that decision from the text of the constitution and places that judgment responsibility back upon the ordaining body where it had traditionally been prior to the insertion of the former G-6.0106.b. in 1997. Each ordaining body, the session for deacon or elder and the presbytery for minister, is now responsible to make its own interpretation of what scripture and the confessions require of ordained officers.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In June 2014, the General Assembly approved a change in the wording of its constitution to define marriage a contract "between a woman and a man" to being "between two people, traditionally a man and a woman". It allowed gay and lesbian weddings within the church and further allow clergy to perform same-sex weddings. That revision gave clergy the choice of presiding over same-sex marriages, but clergy was not compelled to perform same-sex marriage.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: PC(USA)'s book of order includes a "trust clause", which grants ownership of church property to the presbytery. Under this trust clause, the presbytery may assert a claim to the property of the congregation in the event of a congregational split, dissolution (closing), or disassociation from the PC(USA). This clause does not prevent particular churches from leaving the denomination, but if they do, they may not be entitled to any physical assets of that congregation unless by agreement with the presbytery. Recently this provision has been vigorously tested in courts of law.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In June 2004, the General Assembly met in Richmond, Virginia, and adopted by a vote of 431–62 a resolution that called on the church's committee on Mission Responsibility through Investment (MRTI) "to initiate a process of phased, selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel". The resolution also said "the occupation ... has proven to be at the root of evil acts committed against innocent people on both sides of the conflict". The church statement at the time noted that "divestment is one of the strategies that U.S. churches used in the 1970s and 80s in a successful campaign to end apartheid in South Africa".


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: A second resolution, calling for an end to the construction of a wall by the state of Israel, passed. The resolution opposed to the construction of the Israeli West Bank barrier, regardless of its location, and opposed the United States government making monetary contribution to the construction. The General Assembly also adopted policies rejecting Christian Zionism and allowing the continued funding of conversionary activities aimed at Jews. Together, the resolutions caused tremendous dissent within the church and a sharp disconnect with the Jewish community. Leaders of several American Jewish groups communicated to the church their concerns about the use of economic leverages that apply specifically to companies operating in Israel. Some critics of the divestment policy accused church leaders of anti-Semitism.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In June 2006, after the General Assembly in Birmingham, Alabama changed policy (details), both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups praised the resolution. Pro-Israel groups, who had written General Assembly commissioners to express their concerns about a corporate engagement/divestment strategy focused on Israel, praised the new resolution, saying that it reflected the church stepping back from a policy that singled out companies working in Israel. Pro-Palestinian groups said that the church maintained the opportunity to engage and potentially divest from companies that support the Israeli occupation, because such support would be considered inappropriate according to the customary MRTI process.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In August 2011, the American National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus (NMEPC) endorsed the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In January 2014, The PC(USA) published "Zionism unsettled", which was commended as "a valuable opportunity to explore the political ideology of Zionism". One critic claimed it was anti-Zionist and characterised the Israeli–Palestinian as a conflict fueled by a "pathology inherent in Zionism". The Simon Wiesenthal Center described the study guide as "a hit-piece outside all norms of interfaith dialogue. It is a compendium of distortions, ignorance and outright lies – that tragically has emanated too often from elites within this church". The PC(USA) subsequently withdrew the publication from sale on its website.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: On June 20, 2014, the General Assembly in Detroit approved a measure (310–303) calling for divestment from stock in Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions in protest of Israeli policies on the West Bank. The vote was immediately and sharply criticized by the American Jewish Committee which accused the General Assembly of acting out of anti-Semitic motives. Proponents of the measure strongly denied the accusations.


title: Presbyterian Church (USA)

text: In June 2022, at its 225th General Assembly, the church's Committee on International Engagement voted to declare Israel an apartheid state and designate Nakba Day. The committee also called for an end to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip and affirmed the "right of all people to live and worship peacefully" in Jerusalem.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Winsome Sears (née Earle; born March 11, 1964) is a Jamaican-born American politician serving as the 42nd lieutenant governor of Virginia. A member of the Republican Party, Sears served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2004. She also served on the Virginia Board of Education, and she ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia's 3rd congressional district in 2004 and for U.S. Senate in 2018. In 2021, Sears was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears is the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor of Virginia, and is the first woman of color and first Jamaican-born American citizen elected to statewide office in Virginia.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears was born in Kingston, Jamaica on March 11, 1964, and she immigrated to the United States at the age of six. She grew up in the Bronx, New York City. Sears earned an A.A. from Tidewater Community College, a B.A. in English with a minor in economics from Old Dominion University and an M.A. in organizational leadership from Regent University.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears served as an electrician in the United States Marines from 1983 to 1986. Before running for public office, Sears directed a Salvation Army homeless shelter.


title: Winsome Sears

text: In November 2001, Sears upset 20-year Democratic incumbent Billy Robinson while running for the 90th district seat in Virginia's House of Delegates, becoming the first Jamaican female Republican, first female veteran, and first naturalized citizen delegate, to serve in the body. In 2004, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi appointed her to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Advisory Committee on Women Veterans.


title: Winsome Sears

text: In 2004, Sears unsuccessfully challenged Democrat Bobby Scott for Virginia's 3rd congressional district seat. She received 31% of the vote.


title: Winsome Sears

text: In September 2018, Sears entered the race for U.S. Senate as a write-in candidate after Corey Stewart won the Republican nomination, citing his past alliances with white nationalists and other racial controversies. She received less than 1% of the vote.


title: Winsome Sears

text: During the 2020 United States presidential election campaign, Sears supported Donald Trump and was national chairwoman of the PAC "Black Americans to Re-elect the President."


title: Winsome Sears

text: After Republicans heavily underperformed and Trump endorsed candidates lost in critical battleground states in the 2022 midterms, Sears criticized Trump, calling him a liability on the party and said she would not support Trump in the 2024 presidential election.


title: Winsome Sears

text: On May 11, 2021, Sears won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia on the fifth ballot, defeating former state delegate and second-place finisher Tim Hugo 54% to 46%. On November 2, 2021, she won the race along with gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin and attorney general candidate Jason Miyares. She was inaugurated as the 42nd lieutenant governor of Virginia on January 15, 2022. She is the first female lieutenant governor of Virginia as well as the first black woman lieutenant governor and statewide office-holder in the Commonwealth.


title: Winsome Sears

text: During the election campaign, she declined to state whether she had been vaccinated against COVID-19, but she encouraged others to get vaccinated.


title: Winsome Sears

text: During her campaign for lieutenant governor, Sears initially said she would support legislation like the Texas Heartbeat Act, which makes abortion illegal as soon as fetal heartbeat can be detected (as early as six weeks). She has stated that abortion should be allowed in cases of rape and incest, or to prevent harm to a pregnant woman. Later in her 2021 campaign, WRIC-TV wrote that Sears "appeared to backtrack" on her initial comments about the Texas Heartbeat Act. Sears said she did not examine the Texas law, and she declined to state when she thought abortion should be made illegal. After "Roe v. Wade" was overturned by the Supreme Court of the United States in "Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization", Sears announced her support for a 15-week abortion ban.


title: Winsome Sears

text: In 2021, Sears said she supported medical marijuana but opposed the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears has called for the opening of more charter schools, lab schools, and virtual schools in Virginia.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears has argued that critical race theory (CRT) was "definitely being taught in some form or fashion" in Virginia schools, and accused critics of using "semantics" to deny it. Politifact rated as "False" Glenn Youngkin's claim that critical race theory has "moved into all of our schools in Virginia." The site found that, though CRT had been discussed among educators, it was not part of the state's "Standards of Learning" and several school districts denied teaching it to students. Sears called the CRT concept "racist;" she also said the good and bad of American history should be taught.


title: Winsome Sears

text: After COVID-19 interrupted schooling in the state, Sears floated the possibilities of having year-round school or longer school days to make up lost educational time.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears opposed same-sex marriage in her 2004 campaign and wrote in an op-ed that she strongly supported a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman and that "our society has gone immeasurably beyond almost all standards in accommodating the homosexual community over the last couple of decades." Sears supports civil unions, but she believes same-sex marriage will continue under precedent.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears supports gun rights. Her 2021 lieutenant gubernatorial campaign included a photo of Sears with a rifle that was used on campaign material and social media, which drew criticism from Democrats but also increased her prominence among Republicans, helping elevate her from political obscurity.


title: Winsome Sears

text: Sears is married to Terence Sears. She has had three daughters. One of Sears's daughters died in a 2012 car crash, along with Sears's two young granddaughters. As of 2016, she and her family resided in Winchester. She is a devout Christian, and authored a Christian self-help book, "Stop Being a Christian Wimp!", before entering politics.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: Hamburger Hill is a 1987 fictional American war film set during the Battle of Hamburger Hill, a May 1969 assault during the Vietnam War by the U.S. Army's 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile) "Screaming Eagles" on a ridge of Dong Ap Bia (Ap Bia Mountain) near the Laotian border in current central Vietnam. The ridge was a well-fortified position, including trenchworks and bunkers, of the North Vietnamese Army. American military records of the battle refer to the mountain as "Hill 937", its map designation having been derived from it being high.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: Written by James Carabatsos and directed by John Irvin, the film starred Dylan McDermott (his film debut), Steven Weber, Courtney B. Vance, Don Cheadle and Michael Boatman. It was shot in the Philippines. The novelization was written by William Pelfrey. The movie was produced by RKO Pictures and distributed by Paramount Pictures.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: In 1969, a platoon of soldiers fight in Vietnam, ending with a soldier dying on a helicopter. As they prepare to be sent into action again, a platoon of the 3d Battalion, 187th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile), receives five new recruits as replacements—Beletsky, who constantly complains that he won't be able to remember everything he has been taught; Languilli, who is obsessed with sex and annoyed when people mispronounce his name; Washburn, a quiet, conservative man and the only African-American in the batch of replacements; Bienstock, who is outgoing and has volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam; and finally Galvan, the quietest but most promising of the new soldiers.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: Taken under the wing of their war-weary squad leader, Staff Sgt. Adam Frantz, the recruits spend their early days filling sand bags and struggling to sleep before being placed in Frantz's squad. They are then given a crash-course in battlefield skills, including everything from oral hygiene to a demonstration by a Viet Cong deserter on how skilfully enemy troops can penetrate perimeter U.S. defenses. Frantz does his best to prepare the new soldiers for combat, but expresses frustration before the VC deserter silently penetrates a barbed wire barrier and aims a rocket launcher at them.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: Aside from the replacements, the platoon has a new commander, Lieutenant Eden, and Sergeant First Class Worcester. The platoon's machine gun team is composed of the burly Private Duffy and his mismatched, bespectacled companion, Private Gaigin. There are also three African-American veterans in the unit: Motown, "Doc" Johnson and Sgt. McDaniel (who has less than a month left on his tour), all of whom have first-hand knowledge of the racial discrimination still practiced in the army.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: The new arrivals get their first, sudden taste of war when a quiet spell beside a river is interrupted by an enemy mortar bombardment. Frantz calls for counter battery fire ending the mortar fire. Several civilians are killed in the exchange and one of the replacements, Galvan, is decapitated by a bomb splinter. The death of a soldier further riles up Staff Sgt. Frantz. Soon, the platoon takes part in a major operation and is air-lifted into the A Shau Valley. Shortly after disembarking at the landing zone, they come under automatic weapons fire and a firefight ensues. The North Vietnamese soldiers withdraw after suffering at least one apparent casualty. McDaniel is also killed. This loss provokes considerable bitterness and tension from "Doc" Johnson, who blames Frantz for not getting the short-timer McDaniel a less dangerous assignment.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: The battalion is ordered to reconnoiter a nearby mountain but is unexpectedly diverted and commences an assault on Hill 937 which soon grows into the Battle of Hamburger Hill as unexpectedly determined resistance is encountered. The North Vietnamese, rather than using hit-and-run tactics, as they had in previous engagements, defend well-entrenched positions. The platoon is forced to attack the hill repeatedly against stubborn opposition. Between assaults, US air-strikes steadily strip away all vegetation with napalm and white phosphorus, leaving the hill a barren, scorched wasteland. In one assault, a battle-crazed and wounded Duffy, wielding an M60, seems on the verge of carrying the day as enemy resistance begins to crumble. Botched air support by helicopter gunships causes several friendly casualties, to the horror of Lt. Eden and his radio telephone operator, Murphy. The assault fails and Duffy is among the fatalities.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: In between attacks, the shrinking platoon tries to rest, chattering about social upheaval and unrest back home. Bienstock is devastated by a letter from his girlfriend, whose college friends have told her that it is immoral to remain with a soldier. Beletsky gets a letter on tape from his girl back home and Frantz is surprised (and moved) that she mentions his name. Sergeant Worcester describes to his comrades the alienation and hostility he encountered on his return from his previous tour of duty, along with the collapse of his marriage and how a good friend, whose son had been killed in Vietnam during the Battle of Ia Drang in 1965, had been driven to an emotional breakdown by cruel phone calls from anti-war college students, gloating over his son's death. Frantz relates a story on how he volunteered for the airborne. "The only reason I went airborne was Collins", he said. When orders came down for a dangerous operation, "Collins" refused to participate. Later, Frantz also has a confrontation with a TV reporter, telling him that he has more respect for the NVA on the hill than for the reporter.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: The exhausted platoon continues the attempt to capture Hill 937, to no avail. The tenth assault takes place in torrential rain. Gaigin is killed, Beletsky and "Doc" Johnson are wounded. Before he is evacuated, Doc tells Frantz and Motown to capture the hill so that they will at least have something to be proud of but appears to succumb to his wounds moments later as a medevac helicopter lands. Beletsky, despite having received a "million dollar wound," decides to return to his unit.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: The eleventh and final assault is mounted by the remaining troops, whose bitterness and exhaustion is overcome by desperation and unit pride. The final enemy positions are overrun but the cost is heavy. Lieutenant Eden is seriously wounded, losing his arm. Murphy, Worcester, Motown, Bienstock and Languilli are killed before the few remaining troops make it to the summit. Frantz, stunned by the loss of so many friends, is dazed and wounded by an enemy bayonet. Beletsky, also wounded but enraged, leads the final push to the summit. A bleeding and weak Frantz also makes it to the top and rests by a stump alongside Beletsky and Washburn as the battlefield finally goes silent. The final image is the now battle-aged, tear-streaked and haunted face of Beletsky as he gazes at the carnage below. Constant radio chatter is overheard but there is no reply.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: The movie epilogue is a poem by Major Michael Davis O'Donnell, January 1, 1970, Dak To, Vietnam which reads as follows: "If you are able, save for them a place inside of you and save one backward glance when you are leaving for the places they can no longer go. Be not ashamed to say you loved them, though you may not have always. Take what they have left and what they have taught you with their dying and keep it with your own. And in that time when men decide and feel safe to call the war insane, take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind."


title: Hamburger Hill

text: The novelized version of the film, written by William Pelfrey, based on the screenplay by James Carabatsos, featured several additional scenes not featured in the final cut of the film. These included prologue and epilogue scenes set years after the war where Frantz, now a civilian and happily married with children, visits the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. and asks his young son to plant a small flag below Languilli's name. Another additional scene occurs one night between the assaults on Hill 937, where the North Vietnamese Army launch a surprise counterattack.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: "NOTE: Listed in order of authority and rank. The green color coded boxes in the rows indicate that character survived the battle. The pink colored boxes indicate the character either died or was wounded."


title: Hamburger Hill

text: Producer Marcia Nasatir has a son who fought as a soldier in Vietnam, which is one of the reasons why she came up with the idea for the film. Writer and co-producer James Carabatsos had served with the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in 1968-69 and spent five years interviewing soldiers involved in the combat there and researching the Battle of Hamburger Hill. Irvin, an English-born filmmaker, worked on several documentaries in Vietnam in 1969.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: The film was produced independently, with the money being raised through foreign sales. According to Irvin, Paramount passed on Hamburger Hill when they initially pitched it, but they picked it up when the film was finally shot in the Philippines.


title: Hamburger Hill

text: In a 2021 interview John Irvin said that Hamburger Hill could have been released before "Platoon" and "Full Metal Jacket" "if Paramount had been a bit braver". Because Vietnam was not considered a popular subject, Paramount wanted to see how "Platoon" performed at the box office. According to Irvin, "Hamburger Hill" was again pushed back when Stanley Kubrick pushed for "Full Metal Jacket" to be released before "Hamburger Hill".


title: Hamburger Hill

text: Vincent Canby of "The New York Times" called "Hamburger Hill" a "well-made Vietnam War film that narrows its attention to the men of a single platoon in a specific operation." Differentiating the film from "Platoon", released the year before, he noted the film "refuses to put its characters and events into any larger frame. It could have been made a week after the conclusion of the operation it recalls, which is both its strength and weakness, depending on how you look at it." Hal Hinson of "The Washington Post" credited the filmmakers for creating a "deeply affecting, highly accomplished film", but felt that "<nowiki>[Carabatsos]</nowiki> and his collaborators seem to feel compelled not only to show us their war, but tell us what we're to think about it", weakening the film's effect and keeping it from being a "great war movie". On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 100% with an average score of 7.35/10.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: Querétaro Fútbol Club, also called Gallos Blancos de Querétaro, is a Mexican professional football club based in Querétaro City. Querétaro plays in the Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football league system. Their colors are blue, black, and white and the team mascot is a rooster. Although the club has not had significant success in Mexico, the team has featured stars including Ronaldinho and Antonio Valencia.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: In 1949, the Mexican Football Federation proposed the idea of creating a "Segunda División" to expand interest in the game and to create a development program for the first division. Querétaro received an invitation to participate. Alfonso "pachín" Niembro, then president of the Asociación Queretana de Fútbol, and Raúl Ayala, who represented Querétaro at the national level, with help from large numbers of locally based amateurs, decided to organize a tournament, the winner of which would represent the city of Querétaro in the new division. The tournament was won by a team named "Los Piratas", who became "Club Querétaro A.C." They joined Irapuato, Zacatepec, Toluca, Morelia and La Piedad as the founders of the Segunda División.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: The team's official foundation is July 8, 1950. Later journalist Herrera "Periquín" Pozas bestowed the nickname of Gallos Blancos (White Roosters) based on the club's "willingness to fight for every ball" and their characteristic white uniforms. The team quickly developed a large local fanbase. Querétaro F.C. has come close to promotion on many occasions; one of the most memorable was in 1976 when they reached the Second Division Final and played against Atlante F.C.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: It was in the middle 70s when the foundation of Estudiantes took place, a team composed mostly by students that wanted to gain a name in the Mexican league and that also became a good rival to Gallos Blancos; but then in 1977 Armando Presa bought both teams and changed their name to Atletas Campesinos, getting a well-groomed composition of young players with a dream of a future in the professional football and very experienced players; that same year they showed a notable performance. But it was the next season when the team became a "maquinita de jugar fútbol" (football-playing-machine) with a combination of experience and youth well stimulated economically; as the scores were better, the better they would be paid. Then Armando Presa decided that although the team was in the right way it was necessary the hand of a more experienced manager, so current manager Antonio Ascencio stepped down and Antonio Carbajal took the team with a great offering if the team reached Primera División.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: It came the day back on June 22, 1980, when "Atletas Campesinos" would face Osos Grises at the Segunda División final game (Osos got a valuable tie at Municipal stadium, former ground of Querétaro's teams) which was the favorite team, but Campesinos gave a great surprise winning with a 2–1 score (goals made by Carlos Cerritos and Jorge Gaspar). Antonio Carbajal was carried off on the shoulders of the crowd, Antonio Ascencio and their boys wept of happiness. They could not believe it, finally they were the champions.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: The Atletas Campesinos team got into the hearts of the people since they gave them a satisfaction that no team had done before: give to the city of Querétaro a Primera División team. The Atletas Campesinos were already at the maximum circuit with the idea of making a combination of a team with the best men already at the league and make a great campaign, but it didn't happen: the team started to lose their games and finally it was sold to the "Sindicato de Petroleros de Ciudad Madero". Then during the 1982–83 season Querétaro lost the Atletas Campesinos team and it became the Tampico Madero team.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: In the early 1980s it was given to the Autonomous University of Queretaro the team's rights of management and became the UAQ Gallos Blancos. This team became a "golden breed" of players like René Montalvo, Salvador "Zurdo" Ochoa and José de Jesús Torruco. In fact, the "UAQ Gallos Blancos" arrived to another Segunda División final in 1987, now against the Correcaminos UAT, but after playing the first game of the series at the Estadio Marte R. Gómez (with a 0–0 result), the team suffered an accident while returning from Ciudad Victoria to Santiago de Querétaro, where three very important players lost their lives. Even though the final match was moved a month, the team lost the series on a third match in the Estadio Azteca.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: During the next days, the team became a youth/reserve squad of Cruz Azul, providing many players that later became Primera División football stars. Later, after many failures to get into the Primera División, the Autonomous University of Queretaro went into an economic crisis which caused it to sell the team to a north group of business men from Hermosillo, Sonora and in this way Querétaro lost again one of their most loved and memorable teams.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: Later after the construction of the Estadio La Corregidora stadium in the middle eighties, one of the most important Mexican TV broadcasters decided to manage a Segunda División team who received the name of "Cobras de Querétaro". This team obtained the Primera División category by the hand of Jorge "Coco" Gómez back in 1986 but they lasted only one season because at the end of the 86–87 season they went back to Segunda División and the team was moved to Ciudad Juárez.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: In 1988 another team was created in the city, named "Club Querétaro". Quickly became a fierce rival to the "UAQ Gallos Blancos". These two teams were playing on the Second Division. After many unsuccessful seasons, footballer José Antonio García bought the Tampico Madero franchise and put it into the Corregidora stadium under the name of "Club Querétaro". During this season the team had one of the most remarkable roster which included Rubén Omar Romano, Sergio Bueno, Miguel Herrera, Sergio Almaguer and many more, all of them under the direction of Ricardo La Volpe.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: The team made a modest season and was sold to a group of business men from Querétaro (Vázquez Mellado family) who, despite all of their efforts, lost their category and in 1994 and finally went back into Segunda División. Then in 1994, because of the problems of Antonio Peláez Pier with the administration of Tamaulipas stadium, the Tampico Madero team moved to Querétaro under the name of T.M. Gallos Blancos but that same season the team was relegated to Segunda División under the hand of José Camacho and Juan de Dios Castillo.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: Back in 1998 "Club Querétaro" and "UAQ Gallos Blancos" merged into one club and formed a team that played for three years with the original name of "Gallos Blancos de Querétaro" (White Roosters of Querétaro) until 2002.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: In 2002, a Primera División team, CF La Piedad, had to move from the city of La Piedad to play in Santiago de Querétaro, where the team stayed for two years under the name "Querétaro F.C.". The team had a modest performance during four seasons; then in 2004 the F.M.F. decided to reduce the number of teams in the Primera División from twenty to eighteen, and decided to eliminate two teams with the worst financial situation: Querétaro F.C. and Club Irapuato. That same year, Querétaro F.C. bought the franchise of a Primera A defunct team: Zacatepec.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: In 2005 Querétaro F.C. won the Primera A "Torneo de Clausura" and played the promotion game against San Luis F.C. The game at San Luis Potosí resulted in a defeat with a 3–2 score. The suspicious way this game was conducted and the violence suffered by Querétaro's fans in hands of San Luis fans resulted in a fierce rivalry with this team.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: On May 28, 2006, Querétaro F.C. was promoted to Mexico's Primera División, after beating Puebla F.C. in the Clausura 2006 tournament and the 2005/2006 Primera A promotion play-off by a 5–1 final score. But on April 29, 2007, the "Gallos Blancos" were relegated after failing to achieve 6 out of 9 points in the final 3 games in a fierce fight with Santos Laguna. A combination of their defeat in the final game against Club Atlas and a victory of Santos Laguna against Cruz Azul caused their relegation to Primera A.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: After a 2007–08 season to forget in Primera A when the team couldn't make it to the play-offs, things changed in the Apertura 2008 tournament. Querétaro F.C. became the most dangerous offensive (including best striker: Mauro Néstor Gerk) and got the most points since their return to Primera A. After beating Correcaminos UAT and Club Tijuana, Querétaro F.C. won their third Championship against Club Irapuato (which was the most effective defense of the tournament) by a 2–0 score. After their championship and a season filled with ups and downs, Querétaro F.C. played against Mérida F.C. (the current champion) the Promotion Play-off game which determines which team will play in Primera División. After winning their first game against Mérida F.C. 2–1, the team played their second game at Mérida and lost but tied on aggregate. The teams went into extra time and eventually into penalty shots. Everyone scored and goalkeeper José Guadalupe Martínez stopped one of the Mérida F.C. shots. Winning the game on penalties the team acquired the right to play the next tournament in Primera División.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: At the end of the Clausura 2013 tournament, Querétaro F.C. ended up in the last position of the relegation table and therefore was to be relegated to the Liga de Ascenso for the upcoming Apertura 2013. However, the owner of Grupo Delfines bought Jaguares de Chiapas from TV Azteca and relocated the team to Querétaro to keep the city in the Primera Division. The move prompted Club San Luis to move to Tuxtla Gutiérrez, retaining top-flight football in that state. The current Querétaro F.C. franchise assumed the original franchise's television partnership with the Televisa family of networks (Querétaro F.C. was the last Liga MX team to have Televisa as its television partner before the privatization of TV Azteca.)


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: After owner Amado Yáñez was investigated for defrauding Banamex, the team was placed into government administration, from which Grupo Imagen, a media conglomerate, and Grupo Empresarial Ángeles, its parent company, bought the squad. Immediately, speculation swirled that Imagen was soon to pull Querétaro FC from Televisa, and with the launch of Imagen Televisión in October 2016, the Gallos Blancos had a new broadcast home.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: In 2015, this team made it to the finals for the first time in the domestic league competition with the help of Danilinho, Emanuel Villa, and Ronaldinho, in the 2015 Clausura. The team faced Santos Laguna in the first leg losing 5–0, in the second leg Querétaro were able to pull off a 3–0 victory at home, but fell short by 2 goals helping them qualify to the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: On March 5, 2022, during a match between Querétaro and Atlas, a riot broke out between fans attending the match at Querétaro's stadium. Video posted on social media showed groups of men beating, kicking, dragging and stripping victims. According to the Querétaro state's civil protection agency, at least 22 men were injured. League play for the following day was suspended, and the next Monday, five officials from the police and civil defence were suspended, the private company who were hired by the club would also have its contracts cancelled, and a ban on attending away games may be imposed on Querétaro fans.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: On 8 March 2022, the Liga MX banned fans from attending Queretaro's home matches for up to a year, as well as banning its "barras" (a group or club of fans) for up to three years, and also required Queretaro to be sold to another owner after its then-current owners, Manuel Velarde, Gabriel Solares, Alfonso Solloa, Javier Solloa, and Greg Taylor, were banned from conducting league-related activities for up to five years. It has since been transferred to Grupo Caliente, which also owns Club Tijuana, in which the group must sell Queretaro by the end of the year, otherwise, the league will take ownership of the club. It was also fined MX$1.5 million (US$70,450) and its youth and women's teams must play all matches behind closed doors.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: Initially the team played at the 10,000 seat Estadio Municipal de Querétaro. The team played there for about 35 years, and it remains in use by recreational and local squads, along with QFC's youth team with a reduced capacity.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: Querétaro F.C. play their home games at Estadio Corregidora de Querétaro in Santiago de Querétaro, which opened in 1985 and was built in a Mexican-West German collaboration. Seating 35,575 and built for the 1986 FIFA World Cup (of which it hosted four matches for), it is designed to fill its capacity in fifteen minutes, then evacuate the same size crowd in seven minutes.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: Querétaro F.C. has always been a family-supported team, which includes several "porras" like "Esperanza Blanca", "Tradicional" and "La Corregidora". But recently one of the fastest growing "barras" has been the Resistencia Albiazul, formerly known as "Rebeldía Queretana", whose chants or "porras" have become a powerful encouragement to the team and a classic background of La Corregidora stadium. It was the best "barra" of Primera A and now is one of the bests among Mexico's football league.


title: Querétaro F.C.

text: Because of the short distance between the cities in the area known as el Bajío, there have always been rivalries with teams such as Irapuato and Celaya F.C., and Salamanca F.C. in the past. However, the fiercest rivalries are with León, Atlas F.C. and Atlético San Luis (formerly fulfilled with San Luis F.C.).


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The Bangladesh national football team () is the national recognised football team of Bangladesh and is controlled by the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF). It is a member of the Asian Football Confederation, and became a member of FIFA in 1974, even though the Bangladesh Football Federation was first founded in 1972. Bangladesh was elected as a member of the AFC Executive Committee in 1982–1986 and 1998–2002. The current Executive Committee was elected democratically, under an AFC approved constitution and direct supervision of FIFA & AFC, in October 2020.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Bangladesh's national team debuted in 1973 and has yet to qualify for the World Cup finals. They were dismissed in the first round of their only Asian Cup appearance to date in 1980; by qualifying for it, Bangladesh is one of the only two South Asian nations to achieve the feat. The nation's best results came at South Asian level where it won the 2003 SAFF Championship and were gold medalists at the 1999 South Asian Games. Bangladesh was one of Asia's emerging team's in the 1980s and early 1990s. However, since the turn of the century, top-level football in Bangladesh is played somewhere in the shadow of the country's national cricket team. This is mostly due to inadequate budget allocation and lack of technical skills adaptation. To date, football remains a popular sport in Bangladesh but cricket remains the most popular sport in the nation.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: During the early 1930s, there were many tournaments being held in East Bengal and it was seen that the Bengalis there were getting a little better at football. So in 1933, Dhaka Sporting Association, also known as the DSA, was formed in a small tin house at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka. In those days, Islington Corinthians from England toured all around the world, and introduced their football to every country they visited. On 22 November 1937, the team visited Dhaka, where they took on the DSA XI. The Bengalis of Dhaka handed Corinthians their first ever loss, when the DSA XI defeated Corinthians 1–0 during their encounter. Most of the players were students of Dhaka University. Thousands of people were overjoyed to see the English lose on the field that day. While leaving, the opposition admitted to their defeat, saying, "I heard a lot about the Bengal tiger! This time I saw it!"


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The first instance of a Bangladesh national football team was the emergence of the Shadhin Bangla Football Team during the 1971 Liberation War. They toured throughout India to raise international awareness and economic support for the liberation war, the team played 16 exhibition matches in different states and cities of India and helped fund the Bangladesh government by handing over all the prize money earned during their tour.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Following the nations independence from Pakistan in 1971, the Bangladesh Football Federation was founded on 15 July 1972, by Md. Yousuf Ali, the country's former Minister for Education and Cultural Affairs. The BFF became affiliated with the AFC in 1973, and FIFA in 1976. The newly formed federation named Sheikh Saheb Ali as the country's first head coach, and Zakaria Pintoo who also lead the Shadhin Football Bangla Team before liberation, as the captain. In July 1973, Bangladesh were invited to take part in the Merdeka Cup, held in Malaysia, along with Pintoo the first national team squad consisted of: Shahidur Shantoo, Motaleb, Nannu, Nazir, Dilip Barua, Ashraf, Farukh, Shorif, Md.Kaikobad, Enayetur Rahman, Kazi Salahuddin, Pratap, Sunil Krishna, Firoj and Nowsher.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: On 26 July 1973, the Bangladesh football team played its first official game, a 2–2 draw against Thailand in the Merdeka Cup. Enayetur Rahman scored the country's first ever international goal and the second goal was scored by fellow striker Kazi Salahuddin. After the stalemate, the game went to penalties, where Bangladesh lost 0–1. On 13 August 1973, after concluding their journey in Malaysia the team played a friendly in Singapore, and earned their first ever win by defeating the hosts 1–0, thanks to a goal from Nowsher. In August 1975, Bangladesh were again invited to partake in the Merdeka Cup held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During their underwhelming tournament, the players were informed about the "Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman", and decided to abandon the tournament to return home amidst the political unrest. However, fearing a FIFA ban the team was obliged to play their game with South Korea, making a symbolic protest by keeping the Bangladesh flag at half-mast and wearing a black badge, as they lost 0–4.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Aside from competing in the 1976 King's Cup, Bangladesh remained inactive until 1978, when Werner Bickelhaupt was appointed as the country's first foreign coach. The team experienced internal conflict going into the 1978 Asian games in Bangkok, as the captaincy was stripped of the senior most player Monwar Hossain Nannu of Abahani and handed over to Shahidur Rahman Shantoo from Mohammedan SC, seven players from Abahani including Nannu quit the team in protest. The much depleted Bangladesh team struggled in the tournament losing to both Malaysia and India. Following this incident, the federation attempted to pick captains outside the two "Dhaka teams" for the next few years. In January 1979, the 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers began and surprisingly considering there was no previous record of the country taking part in a qualifying tournament, Bangladesh opened their campaign with draws against Afghanistan and Qatar. After being outplayed (1–3) by Qatar in the third group game the team responded with only their second ever victory, defeating the Afghans 3–2, and qualifying for the main tournament on their first attempt.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The 1980 AFC Asian Cup was held in September in Kuwait, and Bangladesh were grouped with defending champions Iran as well as North Korea, Syria and China. After Bickelhaupt's departure, the team coached by Abdur Rahim, opened the tournament respectably with a narrow 3–2 defeat against North Korea. Their goals came from Kazi Salahuddin and Ashrafuddin Chunnu. They also held on well against Syria, losing 0–1. However, the next couple of games saw Bangladesh being embarrassed 7–0 and 6–0 respectively, by Iran and China, finishing the tournament bottom of their table. Bangladesh continued their continental exploits, as a goal from Badal Roy against Malaysia at the 1982 Asian Games, gave the team their first ever win in Asia's biggest stage at the time. Despite of all their early success, the team would see a slump in form, failing to qualify for the 1984 AFC Asian Cup and also endured a painful defeat to Nepal in the 1984 South Asian Games final.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: In 1985, Bangladesh took part in the 1986 World Cup qualifiers, and were grouped along with India, Indonesia and Thailand. The country's first ever win at the qualifiers came against Indonesia. The game was held at the Bangladesh Army Stadium, and the under-pressure home team had overturned a single goal deficit through Kaiser Hamid and Ashrafuddin Chunnu. They followed up the Indonesia result by edging past Thailand 1–0 in the next game. Nonetheless, the team finished bottom of the group, behind Thailand on goal difference. In the wake of their first World Cup qualifying campaign, Bangladesh took part in the 1985 South Asian Games as one of the favorites. The team cruised through the group-stages, claiming their biggest ever win in an 8–0 thrashing of Maldives along the way, but luck was not on their side, losing to India on penalties in the final. During the 1990 World Cup qualifiers, the team only registered a single victory, which came in a 3–1 thrashing of Thailand. Despite the solitary victory, Bangladesh fought toe-to-toe with Asian giants Iran and China during both legs.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Iranian legend Nasser Hejazi took charge of Bangladesh at the 1989 South Asian Games, and dropped experienced players (Sheikh Aslam, Wasim Iqbal and Mohsin) from the squad. After error-prone Bangladesh lost to Pakistan in the final, the former Mohammedan SC coach Hejazi was accused of having a bias against players from rival club Abahani. In 1995, following a series of managerial changes, Otto Pfister was appointed as coach. On 4 November 1995, with Pfister handing the team's captaincy to Monem Munna, Bangladesh won the 4-nation Tiger Trophy in Myanmar, which was the nation's very first major trophy. The year 1996 saw Bangladesh being ranked 110 by FIFA, however, they failed to add to their success, finishing runner-up at the 1995 South Asian Games and 1999 SAFF Gold Cup. It was at the 1999 South Asian Games where the Bangladesh team coached by Samir Shaker ended their 19-year wait for a gold medal, defeating hosts Nepal in the final.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: On 12 January 2001, a historic moment occurred for the Bangladesh team, as they played their first match against a European nation, when they took on Bosnia & Herzegovina during the Sahara Cup and lost 2–0. On 18 March 2001, Firoz Mahmud Titu became the first Bangladeshi player to score against European opposition, as Bangladesh suffered a 4–1 defeat at the hands of Yugoslavia during the same competition. The team proceeded to grow more and more despondent, suffering elimination from the first Round of 2002 World Cup qualifiers with only 1 win from 4 games. On 11 January 2002, FIFA imposed a ban on Bangladesh, due to the government violating the FIFA and AFC law that only recognizes a democratically elected committee to run a country's football federation. Nonetheless, the ban was short lived, after the government reinstated the elected committee of Bangladesh Football Federation, FIFA lifted the ban, on 11 February.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: After failing to produce satisfactory results in the previous two years, coach György Kottán remained incharge of Bangladesh during the 2003 SAFF Championship which took place in Dhaka, between 10 January 2003 and 20 January 2003. Hosts Bangladesh started off the tournament by winning their opening game against Nepal (1–0), with Alfaz Ahmed scoring the only goal, 30 minutes into the match. In the following game, the team again won by a solitary goal, thanks to a late strike from Arif Khan Joy against Maldives. Bangladesh topped their group after winning the last game 3–0 against Bhutan, with goals coming from Farhad and Kanchan. In the semifinals they faced India, who were the defending champions after defeating Bangladesh in the final in 1999. Bangladesh avenged their defeat from four years earlier by overcoming India 2–1, owing to a Golden goal by Motiur Munna and thus progressing to their second consecutive SAFF Championship final. However, before the final the Bangladesh team dealt a huge blow, as their captain Rajani Kanta Barman who played in every game during the tournament until then, picked up a suspension, denying him a chance to play in the next match. In the final Bangladesh again faced Maldives, Hassan Al-Mamun replaced Rajani in defense and took up the captain's armband before the game. Rokonuzzaman Kanchan gave the hosts the early lead and Bangladesh spent the rest of the first half dominating possession. During the second half a defensive blunder by Bangladesh lead to Ali Umar scoring the equalizer. The game remained tied at 1–1 after 90 minutes and even after another 30 minutes of extra time the two sides could not be separated. In the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Aminul Haque saved the second penalty from Maldives and at last Mohammed Sujan held his nerves and scored the winning penalty, as Bangladesh secured their first SAFF Championship in front of 46,000 supporters present at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The 2004 AFC Cup qualifiers, began from March 2003. It was another devastating qualifying campaign for Bangladesh, suffering a defeat at the hands of Laos and tying against Hong Kong, concluded the country's AFC Cup qualification hopes. The team did show signs of improvement by reaching the final of the 2005 Saff Championship, only to be defeated by India in the final again. From December 2005, Bangladesh began their 2007 AFC Asian Cup qualification campaign, winning only a single game in the process, before once again failing to reach the main phase of the competition. The 2008 SAFF Cup also ended in huge disappointment, as Bangladesh were knocked out of the tournament during the group-stages, even after the BFF introduced the Bangladesh Premier League the previous year to improve the country's football. Their underwhelming SAFF campaign resulted in the dismissal of coach of Abu Yusuf. He was replaced by former national team player Shafiqul Islam Manik, who only lasted at the job for another three months.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: On 24 January 2009, Bangladesh appointed Brazilian coach Dido. Under his guidance the team saw an upturn in results, winning two of the three 2010 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers and advanced into the main tournament. However, he was sacked within 11 months as he refused to select established national team players. During his last interview before leaving Bangladesh, Dido criticized the country's footballing structure and stated that it was corrupt. This again raised questions about BFF president Kazi Salahuddin's management of the country's football. The 2009 SAFF Championship saw Bangladesh once again hosting the tournament. Former national team keeper Shahidur Rahman Shantoo was appointed as the interim coach just a few days before the tournament. His time at the job was also short lived, as the hosts were knocked out in the semi-final by eventual champions India. The deterioration in results over the following decade and more saw a massive decline in popularity of the country's football among fans, in both domestic and international stage.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: On 29 June 2011, after a goalless away leg, Bangladesh beat Pakistan 3–0 on aggregate, at Dhaka, during the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers–first round, the game took place only four days after Nikola Ilievski was appointed as the team's head coach. This allowed Bangladesh to advance to the second round to face Lebanon. The first game was played in Beirut on 23 July 2011, where the hosts won 4–0. The return game in Dhaka saw Bangladesh being eliminated, even after they managed to salvage a 2–0 victory against the middle eastern giants. However, the dearth of quality players was evident as the nation failed to win a single game during the entirety of the 2011 SAFF Championship. In January 2013, Lodewijk de Kruif took charge of the team, and under him they even failed to advance from the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers, a tournament held to assist lower ranked teams. Bangladesh played their first four games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Australia and Jordan, losing all of the matches apart from their home game against Tajikistan where they drew 1–1. These results lead to De Kruif being sacked, in September 2015. In March 2016, Bangladesh ended their 2018 World Cup Qualifying run with an 8–0 defeat at the hands of a Jordan team managed by Harry Redknapp.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: On 29 June 2016, the BFF appointed Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, initially on a short-term contract to guide the national team during the AFC Asia Cup 2019 qualification playoff round 2 matches against Bhutan. Coach Saintfiet called up the veteran striking pair of Jahid Hasan Ameli and Enamul Haque for the encounter, but to no avail. Following a 0–0 draw in the first leg in Dhaka, Bhutan inflicted a 3–1 defeat on Bangladesh at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu during the second leg. The results meant Bangladesh would not be a part of any AFC and FIFA tournaments for the following two years, until the launching of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers. By February 2018, Bangladesh plummeted to 197 in FIFA World Rankings, the country's lowest ranking to date. On May 2018, Jamie Day took charge of the team. Although the team was a let down during the 2018 SAFF Championship, Bangladesh advanced to the second round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers when they defeated Laos 1–0 on aggregate. In the next round, they were grouped together with neighbors India and Afghanistan, alongside Asian powerhouses Qatar and Oman. The team managed to earn well deserved draws against India and Afghanistan, and although they suffered some heavy defeats in the following games, Bangladesh reached the third round of 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, as one of the three best fifth-positioned teams. In September 2021, after five consecutive defeats, Day was sacked, just before the 2021 SAFF Championship got underway. However, interim coach Óscar Bruzón, was not able to change the country's fate, as Bangladesh yet again underwhelmed at the tournament.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: On 8 January 2022, the BFF appointed Javier Cabrera as the permanent head coach of Bangladesh, on an 11-month contract. Under Cabrera Bangladesh crashed out of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers–third round, failing to gain a single victory.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Bangladesh's home and away qualifiers and friendlies are broadcast live on Bangladesh Television, Bangla TV & T Sports (Bangladesh).


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The Bangladesh national football team plays in bottle green shirts and dark red shorts embedded. Also with red and green stripes. Green and red are the historic national colors of Bangladesh, originating from its the national flag. The red represents the sun rising over Bengal, and also the blood of those who died for the country's independence, while the green represents the lushness of its land. The usual Bangladesh away jersey is completely diametric to the regular one, and similar to most national teams Bangladesh uses the country's footballing federation as a logo on the kit.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: On 14 July 2008, Bangladesh Football Federation struck a landmark sponsorship deal with Citycell worth US$1.45 million for two years (2008–2010), which was biggest ever trade in the country's football history until then.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: In 2010, BFF announced Grameenphone as their new sponsor and kit provider on a three-year contract (2010–2013). After half a decade without a sponsor, India's TVS Motor Company tied up with the Bangladesh national team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round, in a deal which lasted for two years (2019–2021). In 2021, as the Bangladesh team was using the same kit for almost 5 years, the federation decided to hold a jersey designing contest for the 2021 SAFF Championship.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: In the early 70s and 80s the national football team attracted fans from all over the country. Footballs popularity skyrocketed among fans as a result of the country's well renowned league. The Dhaka League produced many popular footballers, and in turn increased the attendance rate when the fan favorites from the domestic clubs got called up to represent the national team. Since the turn of the century, football's popularity has seen a huge fall, both among fans and media. This is a result of success in other sports and the football team's failure to produce results on the pitch. Recent times have seen the 20,000 seats of Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka usually remain idle all year round.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Outside the capital, football's popularity has not faded away, with games in Sylhet and Jessore, drawing tons of fans. In September 2014, 50,000 spectators were present when Bangladesh U23 team took on Nepal U23, at the Sylhet District Stadium. It was reported that the fans entered the stadium by breaking the main entrance, due to shortage in tickets. The same year at the Shamsul Huda Stadium in Jessore, which has a capacity of 12,000 was filled with more than 30,000 viewers during a friendly match against Sri Lanka, where the hosts won 1–0.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The President's Gold Cup which was predominantly held every year from 1981 to 1993, saw the Bangladesh Football Federation enter two teams for Bangladesh; Bangladesh Blue and White in 1987 tournament and Bangladesh Red and Green during the 1989.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: This was due to the fact, that during the 80s many players were not able to get into the national team even after performing well in the country's Dhaka League, leading the federation to launch two separate teams, one with regular senior international players and the other with "second string" international players. Having a two separate teams was very common during the 80s and 90s for developing South Asian country's, both Nepal and Pakistan had second string team's. Most international countries taking part in the President's Gold Cup would not send their main national team, instead the tournament would be used as a platform to play their B team's.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The 1989 President's Gold Cup saw the Bangladesh Red team win the tournament. The hosts guided by goalkeeper Sayeed Hassan Kanan, defeated South Korea University football team in penalties to lift the trophy, while the Green team were knocked out in the group stages. The Green team was seen as the B, and consisted of U-21 team, while the Red team was made out of senior international's, and was known to be the main national team. While during the 1987 edition of the tournament, Bangladesh White team and Blue team took part. The White team mainly consisted players from Mohammedan SC, while the Blue team was made of players from rival club Abahani Limited.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Bangladesh plays majority of their home matches at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka, where they won the 2003 SAFF Championship & 2010 South Asian Games. Initially constructed in 1954, the Bangladesh Football Federation was given full authority to operate the stadium in 2004, and since then most home games have been played there. Other than hosting the 2003 edition, the stadium was also the venue for the SAFF Championships during the 2009 and 2018 edition.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: Before renovation in 2011, it had a capacity close to 55,000, but with a new capacity of 36,000 it is still the largest stadium in Bangladesh. Ever since the inception of the Bangladesh Premier League, in 2007, the stadium has been used to host majority of the league games.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: In 2021, the Bangabandhu Stadium, again underwent renovation, which has been scheduled to last for over a year. The new refurbishments will see addition of chairs in galleries and installation of LED giant screens. The renovation is part of Bangladesh Football Federation's plan of giving the nation a modernized stadium more suited for football. Occasionally home matches are also played at Sheikh Kamal Stadium in Nilphamari, Sylhet District Stadium in Sylhet, Rajshahi District Stadium in Rajshahi and Shamsul Huda Stadium in Jessore.


title: Bangladesh national football team

text: The following players have also been called up to the Bangladesh squad within the last twelve months.


title: Witness (Katy Perry album)

text: Witness is the fifth studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on June 9, 2017, by Capitol Records. For the album, Perry worked with numerous producers, including Jeff Bhasker, Mark Crew, Duke Dumont, Jack Garratt, Oscar Holter, Illangelo, Ilya, Max Martin, Ali Payami and Shellback. "Witness" is an electropop album that delves into dance and EDM genres, with lyrics on self empowerment and feminism. Perry described it as an album of "liberation" and "purposeful pop".


title: Witness (Katy Perry album)

text: Five singles aided "Witness", out of which, three were released before the album and one reached the top-ten of the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart: the lead single, "Chained to the Rhythm" featuring Skip Marley, peaked at number four on the Hot 100. "Bon Appétit" featuring Migos peaked at number 59, while "Swish Swish" featuring Nicki Minaj reached number 46. "Save as Draft" and "Hey Hey Hey" were released as subsequent singles on June 26, 2017 and January 12, 2018, respectively, with "Hey Hey Hey" receiving a music video. To support the album's release, Perry broadcast herself on a four-day YouTube live-stream, titled . Upon release, critics were divided towards the album, with some criticizing the production and lyricism while others praised the more personal aspect of the album and were favorable towards some "essential" tracks.