Bespopovtsy (), often called Priestless Old Believers in English, are one of the two major groups of Old Believers. Unlike the Popovtsy ('priested' ones), the Bespopovtsy reject priests ordained after the liturgical reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in the 17th century.
Historical background After the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow in the 1650s, many members of the Russian Orthodox Church refused to acknowledge the changes that he had made to bring the church in line with the Greek Orthodox Church.Catholic Near East Welfare Association website, The Old Believers, article dated September 4, 2021
Modern beliefs
Priestless Old Believers may have evolved into the first Spiritual Christians, who were divided into various and diverse tribal sects including the Pomortsy, Fedoseyans, Filippians, Chasovennye, Beguny ("Runners"), and the Saviour's Confession (Netovtsy/Netovshchina).
Some reject priests and a number of church rites, such as the Eucharist and believe that any priest or hierarch who has used the Nikonite Rites has forfeited apostolic succession. Others still believe in the existence of a priesthood, but happen to find themselves without priests. Many such sects have historically received Nikonite priests that have publicly repented from Nikon's reforms.
United States In the 21st century, over 7,000 Old Believers live in the United States,University of Kansas website, Journals, Traditional Customs of Russian Old Believers in Woodburn, Oregon, article by Elena Razumovskaya (2008) with settlements in Oregon and Alaska.University of California, National Heritage Language Resource Center section, Russian Old Believers in the USA: Language and Belief, by Tamara Morris, published August 19, 2016Alaska Watchman website, The Arrival of Russian Old Believers in Alaska, Part 2, article by Alexander Dolitskey, published January 5, 2022
Sources Crummey, Robert O. The Old Believers & The World Of Antichrist; The Vyg Community & The Russian State, Wisconsin U.P., 1970. Zenkovsky, Serge A. "The ideology of the Denisov brothers", Harvard Slavic Studies, 1957. III, 49–66.
References
See also Popovtsy, another major strain of Old Believers, the ones who accept priests. Belokrinitskaya Hierarchy Edinoverie Old-Ritualists Russian Old-Orthodox Church