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Membership

You may be interested in becoming a member of our Order and Priory.

Membership in the Knights Templar and the Priory of St. James is by invitation to qualified persons. Individuals wishing to know more about the Order and potential membership should contact the Chancellor or Prior.

Knights Templar Facts:

  • The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem is an international order of Chivalry with members in over 40 countries worldwide.
  • There are approximately 5,000 members of the Order.
  • Knights Templar support a number of domestic and overseas charities.
  • Membership is open to Christian men and women of all denominations who have demonstrated a commitment to public service.
  • Among the more prominent members of the Knights Templar are members of the European High Aristocracy, Chiefs of Scottish clans, Bishops of the Anglican, Lutheran and Orthodox Churches, diplomats and officials of several countries, of the United Nations or of intergovernmental organizations.
  • The organization has no connection to the Freemasons.
  • The Order does not engage in politics.
  • The Order is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) and has been designated in Special Consultative Status to the United Nations.
  • The Order has a NATO Priory comprised entirely of senior serving military officers.
  • One of the cultural aims of the Order is to represent and defend the values of Christianity. Accordingly, full membership is open to Christians. We recognize that there are many other worthy traditions, and we appreciate and cherish the participation of non-Christian friends and supporters. Associate membership is open to non-Christians through the Order of Merit.
  • Member Grand Priories include Austria, Canada, England and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, NATO, Serbia and U.S.A.
  • Autonomous Priories include the Association of Scottish Knights Templar and Japan
  • OSMTH Administered Priories – Belgium and Norway.
  • Expansion efforts are currently underway in the following countries: Argentina, Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, South Africa and Korea.

Governing Principles:

  • To become a Knight Templar, one must be a Christian by faith.
  • The Order is ecumenical -it does not restrict membership to a single Christian Church.
  • Non-Christians may be admitted as Members of our Order of Merit.
  • The Order recognizes the Constitution and statutes of the United States and of its several States as sovereign and temporally supreme public law.
  • The Order does not allow its members to act contrary to their obligations to their country.
  • The Order is not a political organization and does not engage in politics.
  • The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem is not associated in any way with Freemasonry.

  
© 2008 The Priory of St. James - SMOTJ