The Knights and Dames of the Ordre Souvéraine Militaire du Temple de Jérusalem (OSMTJ) Germany welcome you to our site!
Who
We are an order of Knights Templar that specializes in supporting people in need or shouldering disaster relief, while upholding the traditions and principles of our illustrious ancestors in the field of caritas. We are there to also instruct, form and guide future Knights Templar, provide historical context and clarity about what the Knights Templar were about, and how to translate this to modern times.
What
The OSMTJ Knights Templar are a Christian (Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox) fraternal and chivalric Order. Our Order has no Masonic or political affiliations. We are ecumenical, meaning we are not affiliated with any single Christian denomination but represent all of Christendom.
We are a world-wide organization for the fellowship and networking of like-minded individuals. Our Order is organized Internationally under the name “Ordre Souverain et Militaire du Temple de Jérusalem”. Each Grand Priory translates this into their own language. For example, the Peruvian Priory translates it as Orden Soberana y Militar del Temple de Jerusalem.
The leader of our Order is His S.E., Master of the Order, General Ronald Mangum.
Our Order vows to hold to the virtues of Honesty, Loyalty, Perseverance, Charity, Humility, Courage and Honor. We take our vows seriously and hold each other accountable as our ancient statute prescribes: “Each day we must help our brethren for whom we are responsible, for one day God will say, ‘Where is thy Brother?’”In contrast to much of today’s society, with people moving from place to place and from relationship to relationship, this Order calls Knights and Dames to live a committed life of purpose under the Godhead Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Historically, the Knights Templar were a Christian order of religious knights founded in 1118 A.D.. Named for the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the Templars initially protected pilgrims traveling through the Holy Land, but eventually evolved into a powerful military force that waged war to protect the Holy Land during the Crusades.
The reasons the Knights Templar exist today are:
- Spread the light of Christ in an increasingly dark world. Today’s Templars are faced with a spiritual battle instead of a physical one.
Practice works of mercy, charity and benevolence.- Act as a force to unify all Christians, Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox, under the banner of Christ. Today, Christians are under attack by extraordinarily powerful enemies.
“We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.” ― Benjamin Franklin- Perpetuate the traditions of the Knights Templar by defending Christendom through non-violent means.
- Live a life of Chivalry and hold each other accountable to a lifestyle of excellence.
- Promote historical studies, heraldry and the genealogy of the Order.
- Promote, through the values of friendship, loyalty and respect, feelings of universal brotherhood and ideals of solidarity between all people.
The 12th century Cistercian Abbot, Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, “The Knight Templar is truly a fearless knight and secure on every side, for his soul is protected by the armor of faith just as his body is protected by armor of steel. He is thus doubly armed and need fear neither demons nor men. Not that he fears death–no, he desires it. Why should he fear to live or fear to die when for him to live is Christ, and to die is gain?
