The Holdeman Mennonites: In Transition
Church of God in Christ, Mennonite
To find out more about what kind of Mennonite church this is, click here.
I have traveled across Canada, in the US and throughout Central America and I am surprised at how "worldly" some of the Holdeman churches in North America are compared to their brethren in Central America, and I'm not talking about houses and vehicles. I mean in the amount of "outside" influences they allow in their daily lives.
The reason I'm mentioning my travels is because I have noticed that while the Holdemans are all united in their "one true church" belief worldwide, and all adhere to the same doctrinal book, the practical way their doctrines are applied varies from country to country and in the US, Canada, and other big countries, it varies from congregation to congregation, to the point where it borders on "worldliness" by another country's standards. For example in some Manitoba congregations, certain things not allowed in Belize were used or worn there without second thought. A few examples are name brand shirts, shadow beards, tight skirts.
How does this affect the Holdeman congregations in Belize? You see, the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite aka Holdeman Mennonites, is still an ongoing mission work in Belize. There are 2 established congregations but the other churches around the country are still missionary outposts, with volunteer missionaries serving 5 year terms. These free will missionaries are always couples from North America, and each of them comes with their own set of convictions of how certain doctrines must be applied. For example a couple from Missouri comes and shares their view of wearing black shoes and long sleeves for Sunday worship, while the previous missionary from Georgia was of the opinion that clothing details were no big deal! One missionary will say that sports and technology should be restricted while another is all for the latest gadget and encourages sports activities among the youth. So every 5 years, the Mestizo and Maya converts have to readjust their values and gradually realign their views. Perhaps this is part of the reason their church grows very slowly.
In Canada, the Holdeman youth talked of hockey, Iphones, guns and fashion. Down in Belize, ministers and youth leaders cautioned their young people about such talk and admonished them to be more "spiritually-minded". Facebook, radio, cameras, TV and other social media platforms used to be banned by the Holdeman church, but those standards have crumbled rapidly with the increasing availability of smartphones.
Slowly but surely the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, seems to be drifting down the same road as other conservative groups of Mennonites. Despite being the smallest branch of Mennonites in Belize, they are fast approaching that time when they must either make a paradigm shift, or transition into a New Order Holdeman or something else. A little more than 10 years ago Iphones and pornography were unknown, but now young boys and girls own high-end smartphones with cameras, Internet access and of course social media such as Instagram and Youtube. It is surprising how many of them are on Facebook. I don't know how they manage to hide it from the ministers but they do. Actually, they are beginning to resemble the Old Colony Mennonites in that more and more, gray areas are easier seen than black and white spots. As John Holdeman left the Old Order back in the mid-1800's in the US, so now it appears that they need a new John Holdeman to re-establish and redefine the "one true church" if they want to continue by that doctrine. Otherwise, the transition from a conservative to a "wordly" church will be swift and sure in a matter of years, maybe less than a decade.
On Youtube, ex-Holdeman Mennonites all over the world are coming out and expressing their happiness at being free of religious shackles, and showing it by performing dances or singing to fast music. However, unseen by the world, people are also joining the Holdemans, claiming that they have indeed found the "one true church" meant for them. Who is right, and will a transition be the best thing for them?
I have traveled across Canada, in the US and throughout Central America and I am surprised at how "worldly" some of the Holdeman churches in North America are compared to their brethren in Central America, and I'm not talking about houses and vehicles. I mean in the amount of "outside" influences they allow in their daily lives.
The reason I'm mentioning my travels is because I have noticed that while the Holdemans are all united in their "one true church" belief worldwide, and all adhere to the same doctrinal book, the practical way their doctrines are applied varies from country to country and in the US, Canada, and other big countries, it varies from congregation to congregation, to the point where it borders on "worldliness" by another country's standards. For example in some Manitoba congregations, certain things not allowed in Belize were used or worn there without second thought. A few examples are name brand shirts, shadow beards, tight skirts.
Village girls walk past a Holdeman Mennonite church in Billywhite, Cayo Dist.
In Canada, the Holdeman youth talked of hockey, Iphones, guns and fashion. Down in Belize, ministers and youth leaders cautioned their young people about such talk and admonished them to be more "spiritually-minded". Facebook, radio, cameras, TV and other social media platforms used to be banned by the Holdeman church, but those standards have crumbled rapidly with the increasing availability of smartphones.
Slowly but surely the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, seems to be drifting down the same road as other conservative groups of Mennonites. Despite being the smallest branch of Mennonites in Belize, they are fast approaching that time when they must either make a paradigm shift, or transition into a New Order Holdeman or something else. A little more than 10 years ago Iphones and pornography were unknown, but now young boys and girls own high-end smartphones with cameras, Internet access and of course social media such as Instagram and Youtube. It is surprising how many of them are on Facebook. I don't know how they manage to hide it from the ministers but they do. Actually, they are beginning to resemble the Old Colony Mennonites in that more and more, gray areas are easier seen than black and white spots. As John Holdeman left the Old Order back in the mid-1800's in the US, so now it appears that they need a new John Holdeman to re-establish and redefine the "one true church" if they want to continue by that doctrine. Otherwise, the transition from a conservative to a "wordly" church will be swift and sure in a matter of years, maybe less than a decade.
On Youtube, ex-Holdeman Mennonites all over the world are coming out and expressing their happiness at being free of religious shackles, and showing it by performing dances or singing to fast music. However, unseen by the world, people are also joining the Holdemans, claiming that they have indeed found the "one true church" meant for them. Who is right, and will a transition be the best thing for them?
