Upper Barton Creek Colony (Belize)
The Upper Barton Creek Colony in Belize is a settlement of reformers from different backgrounds which was established in 1969 in the hills of western Belize. Because of convictions against the modernistic trends and for other reasons, several Low German families left the colonies of Spanish Lookout and Shipyard and were joined by some Mennonites from Pennsylvania who came to Belize via Arkansas. After some years of difficulty 11 families and a few native Belizian members joined a church at Scottsville, KY (USA) in 1984. These members who remained at Upper Barton Creek settlement lived simply and in nonconformity to the world. They did not own any equipment with motors and did not use electricity. They opposed education above elementary school and the influence of worldly literature. They believed in strict discipline and religious teaching for children and also practiced strict discipline among adults to avoid "erring doctrines" and carnal-mindedness. Members were accepted from any nationality but only upon evidence of a change of heart and life. They did not smoke or drink, they dressed plainly, and the men wore beards. They farmed on a small scale using horses, producing vegetables, cattle, honey, etc. The colony was more self-sufficient than many. Total population in 1988 was 157 including 45 church members and 2 ministers.
| Author(s) | Heinrich P Friesen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1989 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Friesen, Heinrich P. "Upper Barton Creek Colony (Belize)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Web. 18 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Upper_Barton_Creek_Colony_(Belize)&oldid=61623.
APA style
Friesen, Heinrich P. (1989). Upper Barton Creek Colony (Belize). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Upper_Barton_Creek_Colony_(Belize)&oldid=61623.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 900. All rights reserved.
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