A Dead End in Sarasota, FL

 Bethel Lane, off Fruitville, about two miles east of I 75.  First left after Sarasota Central Blvd.


First building (on the left).  Sarasota Military Academy Prep School  (who knew?)




A bit north on Bethel Lane.  Bethel Mennonite Church (unexciting, unattractive  buildings.)




At the end of the lane, a field, and an archway.



It's the Archway to the dead end: Bethel Mennonite Cemetery.  Who  knew that Sarasota has a Mennonite Cemetery.

There was no obvious street entrance to the Cemetery, so I drove over the field (Sunday 6th  2:00 p.m.)



Like a modern day Lych-Gate




"Typical" Mennonite names - seen also in Pinecraft; Sarasota's Amish/Mennonite neighbourhood.













Driving back to Fruitville Rd I saw another Mennonite Church, with a cut in from the road, immediately east of Bethel Lane.


Two Mennonite Churches within sight of each other!  

'Tis not surprising to Sarasotans.  In Pinecraft there are three Mennonite Churches within half a mile: Pine Grove; Church of God in Christ Mennonite; and Mennonite Tourist Church.

All Mennonite Churches are conservative, but some are more conservative than others. 

I'd be more successful in explaining the Kabbalah than the various strands of Amish and Mennonite congregations.


Save to say that the common root is from Menno Simons (1496-1561) a Friesland Catholic Priest who saw the need for the reformation of the Church but believed that the German (Lutheran), and Genevan (Calvinist) reformations did not go far enough (particularly in the matter of Baptism -  Infant or Adult believers?)

Amish take their name from Jakob Amman (1644 -1712?) who believed that the Mennonites were in need of further reformation.

(The above is a very simplistic precis of a very complicated history).

Two last words

1.  Mennonites/Amish faced evil persecution in Europe, often from other Christians.

2. They were so horrified at the sight of Christians killing other Christians in the European Religious Wars that they became pacifists - refusing to take up arms against anyone.





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