Mennonites in Belize

  There are no Hutterites living in Belize. I have met them here only as visitors but perhaps someday they will migrate here.

   Black people, known as Kriol in Belize, are not as often seen mixed among the Plautdietsch Mennonites except for those who have been adopted and those ladies that have married a liberal Mennonite. KG couples usually choose Hispanic and Maya babies when they adopt children. Old Colony people are less friendly toward black people and will never mix with them in social gatherings much less let them live in their colony, partly because they are ultra conservative and want to remain that way. Non-Mennonite workers among them are usually Mestizos. They are the only group of Mennonites with almost 100% of the population white-skinned. Old Order Mennonites are not as segregated and accept black people in their communities and will even allow them to join the church if they meet the requirements.   Holdeman, Beachy and Conservative Mennonites are not in the least mindful of skin color. They live with black people, work with them, eat with them, marry them, etc. just the same a...

  Perhaps I should have chosen a more discreet title; perhaps I'd better keep it brief. Anyway, you'll find they're no different than other cultures in this area.   While among the Beachy and Holdemans there is an effort being made to teach an honest, godly view of sexual matters to the younger generation, generally the person's view of such things will reflect his culture's view on it. They do make it a point of not providing detailed studies on biology to the pupils, and many of their pages will end with a note asking the reader to consult with a parent, guardian or respected elderly person. For example on the subject of menstruation, a CLP workbook was very brief and ended with " a girl should visit with her mother or an older church sister for more details on this topic," thus encouraging children to open up to their parents. Both groups of Mennonites strongly believe sexual topics should be taught first by the parent and not by the school teacher. Of...

   The following printings are not done in Belize but by their brethren in North America and circulated among the Mennonite communities worldwide.               Die Mennonitische Post    Published by the Altkolonnie Mennonites in northern Mexico, it is a monthly newspaper distributed among the Old Colony and Kliene Gemeinde Mennonites here in Belize; except for business advertising in Spanish, the rest is written in German and contains major news of their type of Mennonites from all over the world. There is also a small spiritually toned German pamphlet that is distributed among the KG of Belize, it contains about 4 pages and is more of a gospel tract.                   CAM Newsletter   Christian Aid Ministries, headquartered in Berlin, Ohio but with agencies in many countries, publishes a monthly newsletter with colorful photos depicting orphans, war torn countrysides, disasters...

  There are none of the big factories among the Mennonites in Belize, such as you will see in the heavily industrialized Mennonite communities of Mexico and Canada. Except for metal companies like Koop Sheet Metal and Koop's Tinsmith, there are no metal, textile or chemical factories. All such goods are imported either packaged or almost prepared. Metalworks companies and glass shops import prepared materials and then mold, cut and shape to customer requirements.   Smaller home businesses buy wholesale components from these importers and build their own products to sell. This creates high product cost, consequently more people are importing their own ready made items, either local importing companies or from online giants such as Amazon and Ebay.    The only products that can truly be labeled "product of Belize" are items from Caribbean Chicken, Quality Poultry, Western Dairies, Reinland Meats, Country Meats, Eurobel, Bel-Car , Circle R and Country Foods. All the...

    Among the Mennonites in Belize, there is no sport unique to a particular group. I mean something that would be recognized as typically Mennonite. In other countries there are "Mennonite" games but none that I would know of in Belize.    While volleyball is the most common sport, soccer is increasing in popularity but more so with the liberal Mennonites. In youth gatherings of any group, volleyball will usually be the first one chosen.   With the exception of the Old Colonists who view games as worldly, most conservative Mennonites enjoy ball and other outdoor games but consider sports outside of the religion. They will not involve games with their church affairs; they will not "pray for the upcoming baseball game", nor will they encourage their children to practice a specific sport. Boys and girls are expected to learn these games in school. In short, games are acceptable as long as it doesn't distract the members from their beliefs. Those liberal Menno...

    Plattdeutsche-speaking Mennonites, specially the Kleine Gemeinde, are known for their surplus crops of beans and corn. Yet in spite of all the land available for planting, the latest territory selected by this person seems a bit odd.... Two little bean plants sprouting out of a bathroom sink.    Sometimes efficiency may seem strange but who knows, it might be the next type of farming method coming up. Whether the beans were accidentally or purposefully dropped there, the fact is they certainly show a willingness to survive.

  Except for Elvin Penner and Cornelius Dueck, no other Mennonite has been directly involved in the Belizean government. Actually only Elvin Penner served within the Cabinet. Cornie Dueck created his own independent party with himself as candidate for Prime Minister, but after he lost his party quickly disintegrated.   Elvin Penner served one term in office as a member of the UDP cabinet. He represented the north west area of the Cayo district and was head of the immigration department. It was during the beginning of his second term that he was involved in a false passport scandal and was fired. He is now just a quiet business man. He is married to a woman of mixed descent and has several children.    Cornie Dueck was already a very interesting character before he became involved in politics. More than just a businessman, he is a preacher, pastor, self-proclaimed prophet, constable, and justice of the peace. He once declared that in the name of Jesus he could sh...

   Who are they? Is it a new group of Mennonites starting another church somewhere in Belize? Or a new colony with Mennonites of the same mindset?   No. They are simply people from different communities and colonies who have left the traditions of their forefathers, have been born again and experienced a spiritual enlightenment. Unfulfilled and disapointed in their former churches, they have gone out of their comfort zone, packed up their belongings and moved to wherever God has called them. I have met and talked with many of these.    Some were from the KG, some from the Old Colonists, others from the Old Order, a few from the Beachy and Holdeman. Now I'm not implying that these folks sought each other out and formed a new church. No, they're just quiet individuals and families who have left a Mennonite church and are seeking to live a conservative lifestyle based on the Bible. They dress modestly but without a specific dress code and head coverings are wo...

  The majority of articles found online about Mennonites describe white-skinned people of Anabaptist descent who either speak a German dialect or used to but have long let it go. That's because the word Mennonite has come to mean a race of people, a culture or ethnicity to many. A white skinned, usually fair-haired religious person. A lot of German-speaking Mennonites themselves think that way too. Others disagree.    There are some, or perhaps I should say many, Kleine Gemeinde and Old Colonists who think themselves to be true Mennonites due to their skin color, way of making a living, and traditions. But why do people of the Holdeman, Beachy and Conservative churches have members of different color of skin? Because these 3 groups have another understanding of the word Mennonite. They did come from North America to evangelize the natives of Belize, but to them  the word stands for the system of doctrines they practice, NOT  for the traditions, rituals and c...

   Short jeans or long? T-shirt or blouse? Skirt or dress? Polo shirt or blazer? These questions are common matter-of-fact things for liberal Mennonites. By that term I mean any person of Mennonite background but not member of a conservative church. Plenty of them exist in Belize.    The tradition of going to church on Sundays is so strongly built into Mennonites. This is partly the reason there are many non-conservative churches in Spanish Lookout. Some of them are truly seeking freedom from the traditions and religious rituals of their forefathers; some have been offended at something in the conservative churches and walked out; others have declared that one church is as good as another and attend whichever makes them the most comfortable.   These churches hold no traditions, no specific clothing, no regulations concerning membership, no feet washing, no head coverings. To them these were simply misunderstandings caused by their Mennonite forefathers. We li...

  In time, on time, all the time. Not quite true.   For German speaking Mennonites, being on time is engraved into their lives. At least for the majority. If church starts at 7:00pm, you'll see a line of vehicles(buggies or autos) at 6:58pm. If singing ends at 9pm, by 9:03 there is a line of vehicles leaving the church yard. The same way with other gatherings.   KG Mennonites will often say time wasted is money lost. Very true. Also true that when time is used to become materially wealthy, God tends to be pushed to the edge of the heart. Old Colonists have the same mindset concerning time as the KG do, yet their wealth will be shown in crops and livestock and not luxury, since is part of the world and therefore a sin.   Old Order (Hoover) Mennonites are truly the quietest group of Mennonites. Time seems to have stopped in their community. I felt as if I was in the middle of the 19th century, watching ox carts and plows being pulled by horses. Unhurried, calm and t...

  The Holdemans, Beachy Amish and Conservative Mennonites have a different view of living an upright moral life.    Certainly they are not holier or more perfect than the KG and Old Order, yet their morality and Biblical virtues are based on their relationship with Jesus Christ. Without being born again it is not possible to live a "good outstanding life" of any worth. Nor can you become good simply by being baptized into their church. According to them, you can only uphold an upright moral lifestyle when you have the Lord in your heart. This means that adultery, drinking alcohol, smoking, constant outbursts of temper, and other "big" or "major" sins are not forbidden because they're bad; rather, they're not tolerated because they are called "death" sins and create instant separation from God. Which means excommunication from the church, not from the group.    Now and then, when a scandal or other disgraceful and embarassing event happe...

   Moral values are very high among the Holdemans, Kleine Gemeinde, Beachy Amish, and Old Order Mennonites. However, upholding the reputation of good morale has become almost like a style of living for many of the KG and Old Order. I'll explain more later.   The Old Colony Mennonites from north Belize are another kettle of fish altogether. Spiritual life and morale are a mistery to most of them. Living among many of them is like living inside a typical lower class Belizean home. The shower is outside, you splash through mud to reach the outhouse, little naked children in the backyard, mothers screaming at their children and slapping them, fathers whipping their boys severely, and husband and wife speaking harshly to each other. Some of the men and boys drink, smoke daily, fight and use rough language during work. Now this is not said to give a negative view of them; it is simply a way of life. There are still the quiet, conscientious families here and there.   The ...

   Can traditions survive without their unique drinks? Perhaps somewhere else, in another culture, but not among the Mennonites. Whether homebrewed, factory prepared, or instant powder, many Plautdietsch Mennonites can't survive without their traditional iced tea. But when did it become traditional? We'll look at that in another article.   Mennonite beer, as it has been nicknamed, is viewed as the number 1 drink among many of the Low German speaking Mennonites, specially the Kleine Gemeinde and other non-conservative ones. Weddings, funerals, family gatherings, birthdays, etc. are not complete without a cooler of iced tea, even in cold weather. While coffee is just a common drink to any culture in Belize, the iced tea is not popular; non-Mennonite people throughout Belize prefer fruit punch over tea. Among older traditional Mennonites such as Old Colonists and Old Order, hot herbal tea is also frequently used, especially as a medical drink or instead of a cup of coffee. ...

    There are no known celebrities among the Mennonites of Belize, small-town, famous, popular or otherwise. A few musical groups have had shortlived moments in the spotlight.

   Music, the comfort of the soul, the way of sin to some, a sign of true worship to others.   Within the Mennonite family in Belize music to some degree is used or listened to, with each branch viewing it based on their understanding of the Bible.                          The Kleine Gemeinde   Used to consider any musical instrument as wrong. But after acapella recorded music was approved, it introduced a need for tape recorders, then slowly over the years other instruments were approved. Church singing is still acapella, and radio and TV are still not accepted. However, instruments such as violins (which is often played by KG youth girls) and guitars are used during youth singing, community concerts, and personal entertainment or family singing. The organ is also used sometimes in such events.       The Beachy and Conservative Mennonites     Also sing acapella style dur...

                  Farmer's Trading Center                The World's Meeting Place   Located right on the main road of Spanish Lookout, in the middle of the business district, is Farmer's Trading Center, one of the country's biggest hardware retail, one of the biggest retail supermarkets, possibly the second biggest building in the country in which to find and meet people from all over the world, and perhaps the only place in Central America where you may see different types of Mennonites on a single day, both locals and outsiders.   Owned by the community and visited by the whole country, it is jokingly called the Mennonite Wal-Mart by citizens and tourists alike. Sort of like a Co-op, it also serves as the credit union of Spanish Lookout members, and issues its own coupon type of checks which again is only used between community members, not necessarily taxpayers.   ...

  There is a very small group of people in Belize that requires some clearer explaining.   Are they Amish? Or some form of Beachy Mennonites? Or Beachy Amish? Or Amish Mennonites? Or to make it less confusing, are they simply all of the above?   To be honest, what is today known as the Beachy Mennonite church has a more or less official title of Beachy Amish Mennonite Fellowship. Consequently within that branch there may be groups that may be more closely related to liberal Amish than to Mennonites, while at the same time some groups may be following a liberal Mennonite lifestyle yet cling to Amish type of dressing. For those unfamiliar with the Beachy, Wikipedia explains it as follows:   Today, the Beachy Amish vary widely in practice, as the constituency is a fellowship with congregational autonomy separate of a governing conference.    Of the more conservative minded, Wikipedia states:  A number of other Amish Mennonite congregation...

  Note: It is not my intention to uphold, support or promote any Mennonite group above another; I sincerely respect the contribution of each branch of Mennonites to the country as a whole, whether financial or spiritual. That said, I will explain some more about the Holdemans since I have probably observed them more than any other group of conservative Mennonites.   To start, like I mentioned before, their focus is first on the spiritual life. Baptism, the new birth, communion and feet washing are fundamental in their church. Shunning as known among the Amish, Old Order and Old Colonists is not practiced among them. Excommunication is the word used and practiced by them, it is decided by the whole congregation of that area after holding members-only meetings, and the severity of it depends on the congregation, but the expelled person is still invited to attend church, and is not excluded from gatherings. (This is not just in Belize; in my travels throughout North and Central ...

A Holdeman Mennonite church in Billywhite Village, Cayo District   The least known and seen in Belize, the Holdeman Mennonites are not what come to a person's mind when thinking of Mennonites in Belize. The picture is usually of white-skinned men in straw hats and suspenders or farmers in modern clothes and using modern and up to date farm machinery, right? Colorful dresses are worn by Holdeman girls and women  The real name of the Holdeman group worldwide is Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, and all churches outside of North America were started as missions with the "central government" being in Kansas. Thus, any major change to a doctrine must first be submitted to a global conference. Mennonite is a name that was tagged on since there are many other churches with the name "Church of God". Holdeman Mennonites is a label that was placed on them after John Holdeman in the 1800's left the Old Order Mennonites in an effort to revive spiritualis...

1. February: Universal Hardware's Friends & Family Day. 2. March: La Ruta Maya, the country's annual canoe race in which some Mennonite businesses become involved by either actively taking part or sponsorship. 3. September: Reimer's Feed Mill holds its annual appreciation and sale day. 4. October: Farmer's Trading Center holds its Customer Appreciation Day, by far the biggest event in Spanish Lookout. 5. November: Caribbean Tires has its sale and discount weekend.

  Since Blue Creek and Spanish Lookout are the most progressive of the Mennonite communities, they each have their own medical center. The one in Spanish Lookout is complete with ambulance and rescue squad. The staff at the clinics are all female nurses who receive training through first hand experience. They do not go to any university or even high school. The rescue team however does have licensed male attendants and first aid personnel.   Spanish Lookout also recently bought its own 2 fire trucks. Firefighters are community volunteers who serve terms. Both the ambulance and fire trucks are available for anybody with an emergency and as such this has greatly benefited the surrounding villages. A permanent police station is in Spanish Lookout, but the police are Hispanics or blacks. However due to some issues with the government and police force, no officer resides since 2012.   The Old Colonists and Old Order Mennonites have no central government, hence no taxes and n...

A handmade rug    Below are a few samples of the items and foods produced by all the Mennonites of Belize: Old Colony, Holdeman, Conservative, Old Order, Kleine Gemeinde, Beachy, EMMC and other non-conservatives. The ones who have gained the upper hand are the ones from Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek colonies. From vegetables to building material, handmade or machine-processed, each Mennonite group has contributed its share to the country's economy. However, an export market for a lot of these goods is a challenge since the cost of labor and electricity is much higher than surrounding countries. A few businesses have begun exporting but mostly in food items such as processed poultry, corn, beans, rice and live cattle. Other items not pictured here are leather products and welded tools made by the Old Colony(Altkolonie) and Old Order, handmade baskets and clay pottery made by Holdeman and Conservative Mennonite members in the Toledo District. Blankets, rugs, and cloth na...