Mennonites in Belize

  Take a drive through Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek communities, and you will see some of the finest and costliest homes in Belize with well cared lawns and magnificent driveways. Take a drive through the Old Colony communities and the Old Order Mennonites' communities, and you will see wooden clapboard houses, metal shacks and front yards filled with odds and ends of farm equipment. Of course, their belief systems plays a role in the way they invest their money.       Review:  The Kleine Gemeindes have probably contributed more to the economy of Belize than any other Mennonite or immigrant group. From the 1950's until now, they have had thriving businesses and products that keep growing in demand. At first, only Mennonites worked in the businesses but as time went by and more Hispanic immigrants began arriving, the Mennonites found out it was cheaper hiring locals and immigrants to work in the companies. As of now, between 70 to 80 percent of laborers in ...

Introduction: Mennonites in Belize     While Belize is small in geographical size and in population, it hosts quite a wide variety of religions, among them the Mennonites. Although the percentage of Mennonite population is low, the impact they've had on the country certainly isn't. From Corozal District in the north to Toledo District in the south, Mennonites are scattered throughout the country. Now, let me be clear. Contrary to what people think, the Mennonites of Belize are not just those from Spanish Lookout, neither is it only those from Shipyard. If you Google "Mennonites in Belize", you'll find scores of articles about the Mennonites of Shipyard and the Mennonites of Spanish Lookout and a few articles here and there about the Mennonites of Barton Creek. But the fact is, there are at least 7 main branches of Mennonite faith in Belize, along with those smaller branches here and there that have broken off from their traditional mother church.   The first 3 g...