Kleine Gemeinde zu Blue Creek, Belize

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The Blue Creek community is spotted in a flat landscape with a few low hills. There are approximately 750 people living there as of 2009, and this number has remained relatively constant since the foundation of the colony in 1958, and makes Blue Creek the fourth or fifth largest Mennonite colony in Belize and is considered one of the most progressive Mennonite colonies in Belize, alongside Spanish Lookout, because of their use of agricultural machinery, tractors and harvesters with rubber tires, use of automobiles and use of computers.

The inhabitants are diverse and can be categorized into groups according to church (EMMC or Kleine Gemeinde), origin (Canadian Mennonites or Belizean Mennonites), language (Low German or English) and wealth (rich or poor). The Kleine Gemeinde adherents in Blue Creek use Low German as their main language whereas EMMC Mennonites speak English. The Kleine Gemeinde also dress in traditional clothing such as dresses with flower designs for women and overalls and blouses for men.

Foundation of Colony & the Formation of the Kleine Gemeinde church in Blue Creek

The Blue Creek community was established in 1958. While the colony was originally affiliated with the Altkolonier church, or Old Colony Mennonites, the colony's affiliation has changed as a result of an early split. This split occurred shortly after the immigration of these Mennonites from Mexico, and revolved around issues of technology, namely the use of the rubber tire. The permissiveness of technology is a legacy inherited from when the Mennonites lived in Mexico, where these issues threatened the solidarity of the group towards the end of their stay in Mexico. In order to keep in touch with the Altkolonier position on technology, church leaders in the early Blue Creek colony invoked ostracism and excommunication against members who were partial to non-traditionally accepted forms of technology, such as the rubber tire, that was adopted when members of the colony realized the hilly, difficult terrain wasn't conducive to the use of steel tires or horses. However, due to the practicality associated with the use of rubber tires, a significant portion of the Blue colony ended up being excommunicated, and a large rift was formed between members of the community. Those of the community that refused to adapt to the difficult environment with the adoption of the rubber tire moved to Bolivia, while the more progressive members chose to stay. Today, Blue Creek is one of the most modern Mennonite colonies in Belize and has a thriving agricultural business.

Relation to Outside World and Colony Dynamics

The Blue Creek Mennonites stay in constant contact with the world outside their community for business and private matters. The main place of interaction between Blue Creek Mennonites and local people is at shops and markets in town. This is the main place of interaction because this is where the Blue Creek Mennonites go to sell their products or buy products not offered within their community. The relative economic success Blue Creek has developed and maintained, in relation to the other Mennonite colonies, makes it one of the colonies with the most interaction with Belizean society.

To outsiders of the Blue Creek community, distinctions are made only by religion and life style, which is to say that, to outsiders, the distinction between the EMMC church and the Kleine Gemeinde church is hard to make. However, within the community, these distinctions are clear. While the separate churches do interact, as is expected if both live within the same community, there do exist distinctions aside from clothing and language spoken. This distinction is evident in the entrepeneural activities of the two churches. For example, Carribean Chicken originates from a Kleine Gemeinde background and employs mostly Kleine Gemeinde members, whereas Circle R., a rice mill company, comes from an EMMC background and employs mostly EMMC members.