Schönthal Church, a Kleine Gemeinde congregation in Spanish Lookout
If anything, COVID-19 has helped us appreciate technology. You no longer need to walk in and go through the awkward moments of shaking hands with strangers, hoping the usher will not point out a seat at the front of the church, wondering how many eyes are boring into the back of your head. But perhaps you're one of those socially active persons who simply loves meeting strangers and creating new friendships and can hardly wait for church to be over so that you can begin. Thanks to COVID, no matter what your outlook is on visiting new churches, the fact is that attending some Mennonite churches can now be done with the touch of a finger. See below (and above) at the list of various Mennonite congregations in Spanish Lookout. From the conservative Kleine Gemeinde singing acapella from their benches to the modern and liberal ones who sway to the music of guitars and electronic systems.
Interested in viewing a wedding ceremony in a Kleine Gemeinde church? Rosenhof is another KG congregation in Spanish Lookout. See above.
Gnadenfeld, Edenthal (see above) and Greendale are three other Kleine Gemeinde congregations also in Spanish Lookout.
A little tired of solemn traditional church rituals? See below for modern "English" Mennonite churches:
Here's Fountain of Life, a church that is sure to liven up your Sunday morning with drums and dancing.
Or check out Fusion, another such church in Spanish Lookout.
Interested in a modern but "quiet" church? Head over to Amazing Grace, an evangelical church also in Spanish Lookout.
You can also tune in to EMMC, the oldest evangelical church in Spanish Lookout.
Maybe you're looking for an even more conservative church but not quite as rigid as the Kleine Gemeinde. See above a service at Mennoniten Gemeinde Rosenort, a rather "new" congregation which caters toward German-speaking Mennonites for example those who are leaving the Kleine Gemeinde and the Old Colony.
Blue Creek, northern Belize
Although Blue Creek is a large and very modern Mennonite community on the Belize-Mexico border, it features two main church groups, the Kleine Gemeinde and the EMMC. Not much in-between such as those found in Spanish Lookout.
For a non-Mennonite, this is perhaps the closest you will ever get to attending an Old Colony church service. See video below:
Of course there are many more Mennonite churches not shown here. Some of them do not have an online platform due to their beliefs, others simply do not place a priority on it, and others completely shun any and all technology. But I hope the videos above have assisted you in learning more about the variety of Mennonite groups found in Belize.
The Old Colony, Kleine Gemeinde, and Old Order have a diet which mainly consists of homemade bread, cottage cheese, noodles, pork, potatoes, and stewed beans. Milk is used in many of their meals, such as casseroles and faspa foods. Some dishes from the Plautdietsch groups are: nuddelsuppe: noodle soup made with home-made noodles werenaki: (perogies see picture above ) made of pockets of flour with glums (cottage cheese) filling, schmaunfat (white gravy made of flour, milk and black pepper), and formavorscht (pork sausage). The perogies are then boiled and served. I recommend it to anyone who wants to try out Plautdietsch foods although I prefer the fried ones. Cheesy or creamy casseroles: often it will contain meat and cream with potatoes or macaroni borscht: a vegetable soup with bits of meat sometimes added to it Clops: patties from either ground m...
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...
Mennonites in Belize have become famous for their custom-built wooden "Mennonite houses". The two main house builders in the country, Plett's Home Builders and Linda Vista Lumberyard , both located in Spanish Lookout, have become reknowned for their prefabricated houses which are built in Spanish Lookout and shipped countrywide. Houses are built from lumber or colored sheet metal and prices will vary of course based on the amount of details a customer wants. A small house with 2 bedrooms and a bathroom and kitchen may cost you an estimated US$12,000 to US$15,000. (Check directly with the company for up-to-date pricing and delivery fees.) A "Mennonite house", custom built by Plett's Home Builder's; photo via Facebook Plett's Home Builders offers both metal and wood siding with a variety of porch and window designs. Linda Vista, which is just down the road from Plett's, also offers excellent building options. Also inside Spanish Lookout i...
