Conservative and Beachy Mennonites in Belize

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  Who are they and when did they arrive in Belize?
  Earlier in this blog I explained that when I use the word Conservative with a capital C, I am referring to a particular branch of the Mennonite faith, which has its roots in the Old Order Amish religion. Sort of an Amish and Mennonite hybrid which appeared in early to mid-twentieth century up north in the US. In Belize, these Mennonite churches which often operate independently from each other are made up of Mestizos, Mayas, Creoles and North American Mennonite immigrants; they do not live in autonomous colonies. The men are not easily noticeable but the women are quite conspicuous with their floor length plain cape dresses and white head coverings.
  From what I understand the Conservative church firmly established itself in Belize in the 1980's, after an Amish mission organization from the US paved the way earlier in the 1960's, shortly after the "Russian" Mennonites of Spanish Lookout and Shipyard had arrived from Mexico.
  The Beachy Amish, which are slightly different than the Conservative Mennonites but still with the same roots and plain dress code, were the second earliest group of Mennonites to arrive in Belize. Like I mentioned above, an Amish organization sent volunteers to assist in building projects in Belize after Hurricane Hattie practically leveled most of Belize City in 1961. This opened the way for more Amish Mennonites to settle in Belize. In fact, it was through this Amish Mennonite group that the pioneers of Spanish Lookout received their first herd of certified dairy cows, via airplane.
  While the Beachy and Conservative congregations sometimes interact with each other in conferences and evangelization missions, they do not all agree on the finer details of church standards. For example, one congregation would deem it acceptable for a lady to wear dresses with splashy color and use a smaller than normal lacy head covering; another congregation 20 miles away would frown on such liberty and request the female members to wear low-tone, plain and pleated cape dresses with a covering that hides half of her head. 
  Interestingly, each congregation is unique in the ethnicities that make up its membership. For instance, the churches of southern Belize are mostly Mayas and people of East Indian roots. Further north, in the foothills of the Cockscomb Mountains, the churches are mostly Mestizos. In the central west and in the north, the churches are Mestizos and Creole, while in the east the members are largely Creole.
  What do these 2 branches of the Mennonite religion have in common? They are both rooted in Amish and "Swiss" Mennonite background. (Historically these "Swiss" Mennonites are much more open-minded and embrace other races and ethnicities as compared to the "Russian" Mennonites of Spanish Lookout and Shipyard which in the past isolated themselves and barred other cultures from joining their churches.) Both practice a plain and simple lifestyle but without the restrictions on technology held by Old Order Mennonites. They both seek to establish churches, not colonies. 






                             A. Mendoza

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