Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries (Brooklyn, New York, USA)
The Garifuna are descendants of African slaves who escaped from slavery, intermarried with Carib Indians, and developed a unique language and culture. They developed on the coasts of Honduras, Belize, and Guatemala. In the 1970s and 1980s, they began to migrate to the United States, to Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago.
In 1984. the Eastern Mennonite Board of Missions of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference asked Stephen and Evelyn Garcia to plant a church among the Garifuna in New York City. They moved to New York City in May 1985 and, later that month, established the Believers Mennonite Fellowship. They first met in their home and then in a rented dance hall. Several sister Garifuna fellowships developed in the early years. In 1988, the group began to rent space in Brooklyn and later purchased a building at 36 Malcolm X Blvd in Brooklyn.
The Garifuna from Belize used English as their second language, while those from Honduras and Guatemala used Spanish.
By 1989, the Believers Mennonite Fellowship held most of its services in English, and many participants were no longer of Garifuna background. Others came from Africa and the West Indies. After a division in the church, the focus returned to the Garifuna, taking the name Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries. In addition to the local ministry, Andrew Nunez began to help form Garifuna congregations in other American cities with significant Garifuna populations.
Bibliography
MacMaster, Richard K. Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of New York City. Kitchener, Ont.: Pandora Press, 2006: 350-352.
Nunez, Andrew. "Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries short belief history." Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries. 2013. Web. 26 September 2024. https://believersgarifunaministries.weebly.com/history.html.
Additional Information
Address: 36 Malcolm X Blvd, Brooklyn, New York 11221-3008
Telephone: 917-807-9011
Website: https://believersgarifunaministries.weebly.com/
Denominational Affiliations:
LMC: a Fellowship of Anabaptist Churches
Mennonite Church USA (Until 2017)
Pastoral Leaders at Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries
| Name | Years of Service |
|---|---|
| Stephen G. Garcia | 1985-1991 |
| Andrew Nunez | 1991- |
Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries Membership
| Year | Members |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 20 |
| 1990 | 35 |
| 2000 | 35 |
| 2009 | 15 |
| Author(s) | Samuel J Steiner |
|---|---|
| Date Published | October 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Steiner, Samuel J. "Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries (Brooklyn, New York, USA)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. October 2024. Web. 2 Oct 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Believers_Mennonite_Garifuna_Ministries_(Brooklyn,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=179799.
APA style
Steiner, Samuel J. (October 2024). Believers Mennonite Garifuna Ministries (Brooklyn, New York, USA). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2 October 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Believers_Mennonite_Garifuna_Ministries_(Brooklyn,_New_York,_USA)&oldid=179799.
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