Some Differences of the Mennonite Groups in Belize
This is not to define or highlight specific traditions and practices. The aim is simply to point out some of the differences that set each group apart from the other.
The Old Colony Mennonites
In most of Belize, the Hispanic people generally refer to this group as Shiparenios, while English and Kriol call them Shipyard people, since that is the biggest community of this group, even though the person might be from Indian Creek or New Land or Little Belize, to the general population as long as the man is beardless, wears a straw hat and suspenders, he's a Shipyard Mennonite. Other than that they care little about the Old Colonist customs.
So what sets these Mennonites apart from other Mennonites? They believe that only their branch of the Mennonite tree is the right one and all other more liberal branches under the Mennonite name are of the world and thus eternally lost. Technology is discouraged except for those who have businesses and in such cases any electronic object is seen as belonging to the business, not the owner. Trucks and other transport vehicles are mainly used by the bigger farmers who hire fulltime drivers, since driving vehicles with rubber tires and a steering wheel is a sin. Their buggies have rubber tires but no other form of technology on it, so that is acceptable. However, their industrial vehicles such as tractors and combines have steering wheels but are fitted with metal tires, therefore making it acceptable to be used at home and the farm. Electricity is only used by business owners or those with large machinery such as rice or corn mills.
Large cattle ranches and crop farming on a large scale can be seen in Shipyard.
The men dress in store bought straw hats, long sleeve plaid or gingham button shirts, black trousers held up by suspenders, plain black shoes. Quite often a full coverall is worn instead of suspenders. Most of their clothing is homemade. Longish hair and wearing a beard are not accepted. The male children are miniature replicas of the adult men.
Women slightly change their way of clothing depending on the age. Baby girls wear plain dresses with a whitecloth on their heads. Later on they are often allowed to go without any covering but put up their hair in braids. Then, specially during the school age, they become accustomed to wearing a white kerchief tied at the back of their heads. This must be kept on at all times when out in public. Some of the stricter families wear a shallow straw hat with a cloth band to fasten it under their chin and also knee high white stockings but also only when out in public. Some of the married women use a black kerchief and discard the hat. Their dresses are usually made of black or dark fabric with a flowered pattern, the most common color being green and black. The more faithful grandmothers use solid colors with a black apron or pinafore. Shoe standards vary, with some using casual strap sandals and others opting for closed black shoes.
The birth rate is quite higher than the othe other Mennonite groups, which has led to new communities being built in northern Belize.
Old Order (Hoover) Mennonites
Although most Mennonites speak the Plattdeutsche dialect, and while the rest of the Mennonites in Belize are descendants of Russian and Ukrainian Mennonites, the Pennsylvania-German-speaking Old Order group is another type of Old Order Mennonites which began in the US about 50 years ago, with a small group migrating to Belize.
You can tell the difference in the way they speak the English language with a decidedly North American accent. Their grammar is much clearer than other German Mennonites and they tend to speak proper English sooner than Creole.
These folks are often mistaken for Amish due to the similarities between them and the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish in their style of dressing and work ethics, also their way of practing their religion. Certainly they are very close in some areas, but when asked, many of them will answer a definite, "No, we're not Amish." Locals know them as Barton Creek Mennonites or simply Longbeards.
Within this group there is actually a subdivision. The liberal ones hold to the same style of dressing and living but place emphasis on the spiritual life, while the Old Group believes on tradition as the way to salvation. They do accept local people as members, (howbeit rarely)provided those people meet the requirements, thus proving they have a better understanding of human equality and true brotherhood, as compared to the more racial Old Colony Mennonites from North Belize who do not consider locals as qualified to be part of God's people.
Phones and all other technology is not discouraged, it is shunned. No vehicles are owned by them except their own handmade buggies and wagon. However, they are allowed to charter trucks or other cargo vehicles for hauling large loads. All farm work is done by hand and horse, and machinery is either waterpowered or horsepowered. Some are now turning to gasoline engines. Oxen are also used for logging and during rainy weather, but never on public roads. Surplus crops are sold at local markets, and most dairy products are for domestic purpose, as well as other livestock. They are widely known for their dedication to manual or organic agriculture, and their watermelons are considered among the best in the country.
They have a much stricter and plainer dress code than the Old Colonists of Northern Belize. No denim or jeans coverall and suspenders. All polyester, dacron or nylon. The men usually wear suspenders, rarely coveralls, real straw hats (the color varies) and all married men must let their beard grow. Their shirts are long sleeve, solid color. Their hair is longer than that of the men in other Mennonite groups, but is cut in a circle around their heads, thus it never drops lower than their neck.
Females wear long sleeve full lenth dresses of plain solid color, not always with an apron except for the older ones. A bonnet style head covering is worn from babyhood on. Baby girls use a white bonnet to start with but is later switched to black. When in public, stockings and black shoes are usually worn, hardly ever will they be seen without closed shoes.
Kliende Gemeine
By far the most modern of all conservative Mennonites in Belize. At first, anyone introducing or embracing a non-Mennonite belief would be excommunicated and regarded almost as a criminal. Now, a few decades later, the tide has turned.
The KG church used to believe in a specific dress code for men and women. They still dress plainly and female members wear a small black covering which is fastened to the back of the head, but only after being baptized. KG females are forbidden to wear pants but are allowed to use dresses, shirts and skirts of varying lengths and color, as long as the blouse fully covers the chest and the skirt is not above the knee. That's about where the simplicity ends. Men are never seen in sweatshirts and short pants, but besides that they dress like most local men. Originally they did not wear a beard but are now leaving it optional.
The difference between these KG communities and the villages surrounding them can be easily imagined. Think of being in downtown Dallas and then 2 hours later in the shanties of Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana. While being modern and progressive creates jobs for locals, it has also caused them to isolate their community from the rest of the country, thus creating sort of an independent state. It is indeed admirable that they can create a balanced, organized, orderly community, but this has deepened the rift between them and the government, since their method of taxation, land regulation, road maintenance and infrastructure is superior to that of the Belizean government.
They are also the biggest crop farmers and some of them own countrywide business, such as Westrac, Caribbean Tire, Universal Hardware among others. Like all Mennonites, they are still a closeknit group.
Now in these 2 KG communities, Blue Creek and Spanish Lookout, live other liberal groups although still of Mennonite backgrounds. Not just modern, liberal to the full meaning of the word. Jewelery, TV's, radios, hippy styles, etc. EMMC is the oldest and was started as a mission. Another early radical group attempted to start their own church but were banned from the community. These different liberal groups have their own churches and theologies but are actually no different than local Pentecostal, Methodists and Baptists. Being freed of conservative boundaries, they accept people of different races, cultures, and colors, unlike the KG who keep more to themselves and teach their youngsters that it is a terrible thing to marry a local but its acceptable to marry a Mennonite who is liberal, hence the reason many locals consider the KG as racist.
The most noteworthy thing about these 2 modern communities is how the conservative KG can live and work side by side with "worldly" Mennonites, share seats in their "parliament" and be shareholders in business. The reason is due to the fact the KG are conservative in doctrine and dressing only but have allowed modernization in all other areas, to the point where it weakened their standards and they accepted these liberal groups as part of their community.
Beachy Mennonites
The fourth conspicous group of conservative Mennonites is the Beachy Mennonites, or whitecaps as they are known by many locals. This branch is made up of different cultures and backgrounds and any person who can prove a change of life and is consistent in living it out may be accepted.
They are conspicous due to the ladies white coverings and almost floor lenth cape dresses and due to their acceptance of locals. The men dress neatly and modestly but do not stick to a particular style. Some married men wear beards of varying lengths depending on personal conviction/discernment.
Usually girls do not use a covering until baptism (depending on her parents' opinion) and young boys are allowed to dress casually to a certain degree, the preferred style being blue jeans and polo shirts.
In Belize, this group is not known for large farming or million dollar business, even though they accept modern conveniences as part of their lifestyle; a luxurious and wealthy life is against their beliefs. Their moderate level of living and mingling with locals has helped them to be the most widespread Mennonites in Belize.
Many of them have intermarried, hence the only Mennonite group with the most languages.
It can truly be said that their focus is to help people, not to build colonies. Their businesses range from hardware stores to backyard gardening and they are the most spiritually active Mennonite group, combining their business with the gospel.
Holdeman Mennonites
The least conspicous but not the smallest group of conservative Mennonites. This group started as a mission and is actually still an ongoing mission outreach except for 2 established congregations, 1 in central Belize and the other at the southern tip of the country. Volunteer mission workers from North America take turns spending time with the smaller groups. It is the only Mennonite branch with the least amount of white people in it.
Even though modern appliances are accepted, there are certain forms of digital technology that is frowned upon, such as cameras, tape recorders and radios. All members are warned against the use of social media, even for business purposes. This is also the least prosperous branch of Mennonites in Belize, due to their belief of not building up riches and material possessions. Men and women hold a variety of jobs in different companies.
Ladies and girls wear one piece dresses that fall below the knee, but it is not cape style. Color, sleeves and patterns are left to the discretion of the user as long as it is one piece and is not above the knee. A black bun type of covering is used after baptism. During worship services, all female baptized members must put on a second, bigger black covering, tied below the chin and falling between their shoulder blades and they are expected to use black shoes.
All baptized male members are to let their beards grow and are encouraged to keep it neat and trimmed. There is no specific code for men, consequently some may use jeans and Tshirts and others dress pants and plaid shirts. For church services the men are expected to use dress pants and long sleeves. In North America, Holdeman men quite often use full black suits for services but that practice didn't work so well here with the high humidity and lack of air conditioning. Also the unwritten dress code for worship services for men and women will vary by group.
They are also spiritually active but are not noticed as much because of their small numbers. A closer study revealed this group of Mennonites is the only modern branch that is the most united in the practice of their doctrines and the only ones with the least record of splits and divisions, both in North and South America, ever since the group was started by John Holdeman nearly 200 years ago.
Amish Mennonites
The smallest group is not really a formal church. So far it is only a sprinkling, with a few families living in western Belize and joining the Beachy Mennonites for services, as well as working with them sometimes.
In beliefs they are much like the Beachy, accepting modern conveniences yet living a simpler lifestyle than the Beachy. Technology is accepted but kept at minimum use. They, however, are here more to make a living than to start a church.
They speak only English and came from the eastern United States in the last 8 years or so. They dress similar to the Beachy Mennonites yet resemble the Amish, with the difference being most noticeable on the men, who wear plain shirts and suspenders with no specific style of pants, no hats and the beard optional. Truth is this group is more like the conservative side of the Beachy Mennonites.
This has been a lengthy but enjoyable task, as I sincerely appreciate what each group has contributed to the country of Belize.
The Old Colony Mennonites
In most of Belize, the Hispanic people generally refer to this group as Shiparenios, while English and Kriol call them Shipyard people, since that is the biggest community of this group, even though the person might be from Indian Creek or New Land or Little Belize, to the general population as long as the man is beardless, wears a straw hat and suspenders, he's a Shipyard Mennonite. Other than that they care little about the Old Colonist customs.
So what sets these Mennonites apart from other Mennonites? They believe that only their branch of the Mennonite tree is the right one and all other more liberal branches under the Mennonite name are of the world and thus eternally lost. Technology is discouraged except for those who have businesses and in such cases any electronic object is seen as belonging to the business, not the owner. Trucks and other transport vehicles are mainly used by the bigger farmers who hire fulltime drivers, since driving vehicles with rubber tires and a steering wheel is a sin. Their buggies have rubber tires but no other form of technology on it, so that is acceptable. However, their industrial vehicles such as tractors and combines have steering wheels but are fitted with metal tires, therefore making it acceptable to be used at home and the farm. Electricity is only used by business owners or those with large machinery such as rice or corn mills.
Large cattle ranches and crop farming on a large scale can be seen in Shipyard.
The men dress in store bought straw hats, long sleeve plaid or gingham button shirts, black trousers held up by suspenders, plain black shoes. Quite often a full coverall is worn instead of suspenders. Most of their clothing is homemade. Longish hair and wearing a beard are not accepted. The male children are miniature replicas of the adult men.
Women slightly change their way of clothing depending on the age. Baby girls wear plain dresses with a whitecloth on their heads. Later on they are often allowed to go without any covering but put up their hair in braids. Then, specially during the school age, they become accustomed to wearing a white kerchief tied at the back of their heads. This must be kept on at all times when out in public. Some of the stricter families wear a shallow straw hat with a cloth band to fasten it under their chin and also knee high white stockings but also only when out in public. Some of the married women use a black kerchief and discard the hat. Their dresses are usually made of black or dark fabric with a flowered pattern, the most common color being green and black. The more faithful grandmothers use solid colors with a black apron or pinafore. Shoe standards vary, with some using casual strap sandals and others opting for closed black shoes.
The birth rate is quite higher than the othe other Mennonite groups, which has led to new communities being built in northern Belize.
Old Order (Hoover) Mennonites
Although most Mennonites speak the Plattdeutsche dialect, and while the rest of the Mennonites in Belize are descendants of Russian and Ukrainian Mennonites, the Pennsylvania-German-speaking Old Order group is another type of Old Order Mennonites which began in the US about 50 years ago, with a small group migrating to Belize.
You can tell the difference in the way they speak the English language with a decidedly North American accent. Their grammar is much clearer than other German Mennonites and they tend to speak proper English sooner than Creole.
These folks are often mistaken for Amish due to the similarities between them and the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish in their style of dressing and work ethics, also their way of practing their religion. Certainly they are very close in some areas, but when asked, many of them will answer a definite, "No, we're not Amish." Locals know them as Barton Creek Mennonites or simply Longbeards.
Within this group there is actually a subdivision. The liberal ones hold to the same style of dressing and living but place emphasis on the spiritual life, while the Old Group believes on tradition as the way to salvation. They do accept local people as members, (howbeit rarely)provided those people meet the requirements, thus proving they have a better understanding of human equality and true brotherhood, as compared to the more racial Old Colony Mennonites from North Belize who do not consider locals as qualified to be part of God's people.
Phones and all other technology is not discouraged, it is shunned. No vehicles are owned by them except their own handmade buggies and wagon. However, they are allowed to charter trucks or other cargo vehicles for hauling large loads. All farm work is done by hand and horse, and machinery is either waterpowered or horsepowered. Some are now turning to gasoline engines. Oxen are also used for logging and during rainy weather, but never on public roads. Surplus crops are sold at local markets, and most dairy products are for domestic purpose, as well as other livestock. They are widely known for their dedication to manual or organic agriculture, and their watermelons are considered among the best in the country.
They have a much stricter and plainer dress code than the Old Colonists of Northern Belize. No denim or jeans coverall and suspenders. All polyester, dacron or nylon. The men usually wear suspenders, rarely coveralls, real straw hats (the color varies) and all married men must let their beard grow. Their shirts are long sleeve, solid color. Their hair is longer than that of the men in other Mennonite groups, but is cut in a circle around their heads, thus it never drops lower than their neck.
Females wear long sleeve full lenth dresses of plain solid color, not always with an apron except for the older ones. A bonnet style head covering is worn from babyhood on. Baby girls use a white bonnet to start with but is later switched to black. When in public, stockings and black shoes are usually worn, hardly ever will they be seen without closed shoes.
Kliende Gemeine
By far the most modern of all conservative Mennonites in Belize. At first, anyone introducing or embracing a non-Mennonite belief would be excommunicated and regarded almost as a criminal. Now, a few decades later, the tide has turned.
The KG church used to believe in a specific dress code for men and women. They still dress plainly and female members wear a small black covering which is fastened to the back of the head, but only after being baptized. KG females are forbidden to wear pants but are allowed to use dresses, shirts and skirts of varying lengths and color, as long as the blouse fully covers the chest and the skirt is not above the knee. That's about where the simplicity ends. Men are never seen in sweatshirts and short pants, but besides that they dress like most local men. Originally they did not wear a beard but are now leaving it optional.
The difference between these KG communities and the villages surrounding them can be easily imagined. Think of being in downtown Dallas and then 2 hours later in the shanties of Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana. While being modern and progressive creates jobs for locals, it has also caused them to isolate their community from the rest of the country, thus creating sort of an independent state. It is indeed admirable that they can create a balanced, organized, orderly community, but this has deepened the rift between them and the government, since their method of taxation, land regulation, road maintenance and infrastructure is superior to that of the Belizean government.
They are also the biggest crop farmers and some of them own countrywide business, such as Westrac, Caribbean Tire, Universal Hardware among others. Like all Mennonites, they are still a closeknit group.
Now in these 2 KG communities, Blue Creek and Spanish Lookout, live other liberal groups although still of Mennonite backgrounds. Not just modern, liberal to the full meaning of the word. Jewelery, TV's, radios, hippy styles, etc. EMMC is the oldest and was started as a mission. Another early radical group attempted to start their own church but were banned from the community. These different liberal groups have their own churches and theologies but are actually no different than local Pentecostal, Methodists and Baptists. Being freed of conservative boundaries, they accept people of different races, cultures, and colors, unlike the KG who keep more to themselves and teach their youngsters that it is a terrible thing to marry a local but its acceptable to marry a Mennonite who is liberal, hence the reason many locals consider the KG as racist.
The most noteworthy thing about these 2 modern communities is how the conservative KG can live and work side by side with "worldly" Mennonites, share seats in their "parliament" and be shareholders in business. The reason is due to the fact the KG are conservative in doctrine and dressing only but have allowed modernization in all other areas, to the point where it weakened their standards and they accepted these liberal groups as part of their community.
Beachy Mennonites
The fourth conspicous group of conservative Mennonites is the Beachy Mennonites, or whitecaps as they are known by many locals. This branch is made up of different cultures and backgrounds and any person who can prove a change of life and is consistent in living it out may be accepted.
They are conspicous due to the ladies white coverings and almost floor lenth cape dresses and due to their acceptance of locals. The men dress neatly and modestly but do not stick to a particular style. Some married men wear beards of varying lengths depending on personal conviction/discernment.
Usually girls do not use a covering until baptism (depending on her parents' opinion) and young boys are allowed to dress casually to a certain degree, the preferred style being blue jeans and polo shirts.
In Belize, this group is not known for large farming or million dollar business, even though they accept modern conveniences as part of their lifestyle; a luxurious and wealthy life is against their beliefs. Their moderate level of living and mingling with locals has helped them to be the most widespread Mennonites in Belize.
Many of them have intermarried, hence the only Mennonite group with the most languages.
It can truly be said that their focus is to help people, not to build colonies. Their businesses range from hardware stores to backyard gardening and they are the most spiritually active Mennonite group, combining their business with the gospel.
Holdeman Mennonites
The least conspicous but not the smallest group of conservative Mennonites. This group started as a mission and is actually still an ongoing mission outreach except for 2 established congregations, 1 in central Belize and the other at the southern tip of the country. Volunteer mission workers from North America take turns spending time with the smaller groups. It is the only Mennonite branch with the least amount of white people in it.
Even though modern appliances are accepted, there are certain forms of digital technology that is frowned upon, such as cameras, tape recorders and radios. All members are warned against the use of social media, even for business purposes. This is also the least prosperous branch of Mennonites in Belize, due to their belief of not building up riches and material possessions. Men and women hold a variety of jobs in different companies.
Ladies and girls wear one piece dresses that fall below the knee, but it is not cape style. Color, sleeves and patterns are left to the discretion of the user as long as it is one piece and is not above the knee. A black bun type of covering is used after baptism. During worship services, all female baptized members must put on a second, bigger black covering, tied below the chin and falling between their shoulder blades and they are expected to use black shoes.
All baptized male members are to let their beards grow and are encouraged to keep it neat and trimmed. There is no specific code for men, consequently some may use jeans and Tshirts and others dress pants and plaid shirts. For church services the men are expected to use dress pants and long sleeves. In North America, Holdeman men quite often use full black suits for services but that practice didn't work so well here with the high humidity and lack of air conditioning. Also the unwritten dress code for worship services for men and women will vary by group.
They are also spiritually active but are not noticed as much because of their small numbers. A closer study revealed this group of Mennonites is the only modern branch that is the most united in the practice of their doctrines and the only ones with the least record of splits and divisions, both in North and South America, ever since the group was started by John Holdeman nearly 200 years ago.
Amish Mennonites
The smallest group is not really a formal church. So far it is only a sprinkling, with a few families living in western Belize and joining the Beachy Mennonites for services, as well as working with them sometimes.
In beliefs they are much like the Beachy, accepting modern conveniences yet living a simpler lifestyle than the Beachy. Technology is accepted but kept at minimum use. They, however, are here more to make a living than to start a church.
They speak only English and came from the eastern United States in the last 8 years or so. They dress similar to the Beachy Mennonites yet resemble the Amish, with the difference being most noticeable on the men, who wear plain shirts and suspenders with no specific style of pants, no hats and the beard optional. Truth is this group is more like the conservative side of the Beachy Mennonites.
This has been a lengthy but enjoyable task, as I sincerely appreciate what each group has contributed to the country of Belize.
