Battle of the Beard
The Old Colony men can be easily identified from their Old Order neighbors because they don't wear beards and mustaches. It's wrong for them to do so.
On the other hand, the Old Order Mennonites believe that all married men must let their beard grow unhindered, resulting in bushy haystacks. Mustaches are kept more in line, for obvious reasons.
Most Kleine Gemeinde or KG males are beardless and mustacheless too, more out of tradition than anything spiritual or Biblical because there are some who grow mustache and beard (and keep it neat and trimmed), but mostly the ones at the liberal end.
The Holdeman's doctrine requires all born-again baptized members to grow a beard and mustache as well as to be responsible to keep it trimmed and orderly. A few go against the doctrine and either grow bushy beards or none at all.
Beachy and Conservative Mennonites are a diverse, widely scattered group independent of a central government. Therefore the ones at the conservative end which resemble the Amish are usually the ones who would have a mustache and beard. Many others are clean-shaven; some sport a mustache and no beard, others a full beard but no mustache. The majority of these type of Mennonite men here in Belize do not have a beard.
Non-conservative, non-denominational Mennonites go according to personal preference and also according to their wive's approval. Some days they have a huge beard and other days they shave it clean. Pro-conservative Mennonites who have left the mother churches still grow a beard and mustache.
Living and working here in a tiny country surrounded by a variety of Mennonites, I get asked all sorts of questions by different Mennonite men about my decision to grow and maintain a trimmed beard and mustache. Some other time I'll explain more about myself.
Most Kleine Gemeinde or KG males are beardless and mustacheless too, more out of tradition than anything spiritual or Biblical because there are some who grow mustache and beard (and keep it neat and trimmed), but mostly the ones at the liberal end.
The Holdeman's doctrine requires all born-again baptized members to grow a beard and mustache as well as to be responsible to keep it trimmed and orderly. A few go against the doctrine and either grow bushy beards or none at all.
Beachy and Conservative Mennonites are a diverse, widely scattered group independent of a central government. Therefore the ones at the conservative end which resemble the Amish are usually the ones who would have a mustache and beard. Many others are clean-shaven; some sport a mustache and no beard, others a full beard but no mustache. The majority of these type of Mennonite men here in Belize do not have a beard.
Non-conservative, non-denominational Mennonites go according to personal preference and also according to their wive's approval. Some days they have a huge beard and other days they shave it clean. Pro-conservative Mennonites who have left the mother churches still grow a beard and mustache.
Living and working here in a tiny country surrounded by a variety of Mennonites, I get asked all sorts of questions by different Mennonite men about my decision to grow and maintain a trimmed beard and mustache. Some other time I'll explain more about myself.
