Figure 1.--Here we see a father at sons at the Mennonite Rio Verde Colony in eastern Paraguay wear in American-looking denim bib-overalls. Notice the John Deare caps.

European and American Protesrant groups have supported missionary goups in Paraguay. Paraguay also has a small, but active Mennoite community. For many years the Mennoites were the largest Protestant hroip in the country. We are not sure if this is still the case. The Mennonites are somewhat different than Protestant missionaries, although there are differences between two separate Mennonite groups. The missionaries are interested in converting Paraguayans--primarily Narive Americans. The first Mennonite group was primarily interested in finding a place in which they can organize and pursue their religion and communal lifestyle. The Mennonites founded the Evangelical Mennonite Chutch in Paraguay (1921). Another Mennonite group founded a second community--the Mennonite Bretheren (1930). The Bretheren have actively evangelized among Paraguayns, especially Native Americans. One report estimates thar nearly 90 percent of the Bretheren are Lengua, Chulupi, or Guarani. Smaller Mennoite groups have subsequently organized in Paraguay. One source estimated that their are 135 Mennonite congregations with 62,000 members. [Fahlbusch and Bromiley] The largest Mennnonite communities were founded in the Chacao of western Paraguay: Menno, Fernheim. Filadelphia, Neuland, sommerfeld, and Bergtal in the Chacao. Notice the German names. Recent Mennonite immigrants from Mexico and the United States since the 1960s have founded communities in eastern Paraguay. Overall most of the Mennonites are ethnically German and speak German. The communinities have founded their own schools. The Menniites have also founded hospitals which serve not only their own communities as well as their own communities. The Mennonites have founded agricultural comminities with a heavy emphasis on dairy farming. As aresult of their religious beliefs, the Paraguayan government has exempled them from mililitary conscription. The men here do not seem dressed like Mennoites, but the girls wsith their head scarves do seem to be dressed like Mennoites.

Sources

Fahlbusch, Erwin and Geoffrey William Bromiley. The Encyclopedia of Christianity Volume 4.

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Created: 7:54 PM 2/22/2011
Last edited: 1:17 AM 2/23/2011