Interested in joining and becoming a Knights Templar?
Actually, you can.
Becoming a Knights Templar isn’t a complicated issue at all, but it is indeed a unique and exceptional way to transform your life. You’ll get to understand the purpose of life and take a firm stand for what is right for your country and community.
Besides, the best thing is you don’t have to be a warrior to join the membership.
Today, “anyone” can become a Knights Templar. However, if this is your first time, and you are not a Freemason, it is important you understand a few important things first.
Here’s what you will learn in this article:
- The difference between the Knights Templar & the modern “Knights Templar”
- The Masonic vs non-Masonic Templars
- How to become a Knights Templar
The Historic Knights Templar vs Modern Knights Templar
Historic Knights Templar were highly trained soldiers. They used to fight the unbelievers to make the world a safer and better place for Christians.
Affluent families and religious scholars of their era loved them and flooded them with lands, farms, and money time and time again.
This isn’t the case now, as the original Knights Templar and their duties don’t exist today.
Modern Knights Templar is actually an utterly separate organization and doesn’t have any connection with the actual Historic Knights Templar.
In case you are wondering why they are using the same name, it is only because they are inspired by them.
Rather than doing specific duties, their main goal is to live for Christ and improve the community.
There is freedom, love, respect, and equality among all the members too.
Do You Have To Be A Freemason To Become A Knight Templar?
Contrary to popular belief, no – you do not need to become a Freemason first before you join the Knights Templars.
(If you’re interested though, you can check out our guide on how to become a Freemason here).
There are numbers of non-Masonic small groups that don’t compel you to sign up for the teachings of Blue Lodge, such as:
The key purpose behind their creation is to gather people from different walks of life, like philosophers, bikers, doctors, and etc, and do the necessary revolution peacefully.
In other words, it is all about waking the people and saving the Christian religion.
NB: If you’d like to become a Freemason, be sure to download our new book explaining the entire process of becoming one.
How To Become A Knights Templar
There is a Templar Order in almost all organizations.
You start in ‘General Membership’ and serve as:
- Templar Sergeant (men)
- Templar Adjutant (women)
- Temple Guardian
Now, there are other chivalric statuses too, like Knight in Nobility, but it is important to serve as a Templar Sergeant first.
The doors are open for women too. They too can join the order of Knights Templar, but their duties can be a tad different.
It utterly depends on the organization.
In most cases, women will assist and support in different sectors of the organization.
They will, of course, be participating in all Templar “missions”, but their services will be associated with skilled professionals, who support the Knights.
Apart from this, once you choose the organization and sign up for the Knights Templar membership, you have to wait for the approval.
Usually, they take a week to approve or disapprove your application. It is pertinent for them to check your conduct and record.
If you are accepted, you will start receiving ‘Skill Training’ immediately. It is based on a few levels.
For example, in the first level, you learn about the foundation and survival of the order.
This first-order also makes you study the historical documents which are about the foundations of Knights Templar.
Once you complete the first stage, there are some advanced levels too which are about:
- Codes of Chivalry,
- Rules of Nobiliary,
- Templar Culture and Heritage
- and others.
For more information about becoming a Knights Templar, please visit the “General Membership” page on the KT website.
Let’s now look at some historical facts about the Templars.
How Were The Knights Templar Formed?
Knights Templar, also known as Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, were actually a Catholic military order.
They were highly-trained, well-equipped, and highly motivated. It was their aim to carry out important missions and protect those pilgrims who visit the holy land.
Order of the Knights Templar was formed by Hugh de Payens in Jerusalem, around 1119, but officially recognized in 1139 by the papal bull Omne datum optimum.
They were the elite warriors.
It was forbidden for them to retreat from the battle unless outnumbered three to one. Most people assume that the creation of Knights Templar was an ideology that dictated religious warfare, which is not true at all.
In reality, their creation is a reactionary measure to protect the groups of pilgrims from across Western Europe, as they were robbed and killed while crossing Muslim territories.
It all started when Christian armies captured Jerusalem in 1099.
Though the city of Jerusalem was utterly under control, there wasn’t any kind of misconduct or threat from the foreigners, but the Bandits started preying upon the pilgrims.
It was their only chance and way to demonstrate their dominance and get the city back.
Therefore, a new order formed with the support of Baldwin II, the ruler of Jerusalem. It was their duty to protect the pilgrims and avert the attack on the holy land.
The Knights Templar didn’t have direct involvement in any kind of social and financial sector of the system in the beginning, as their main aim was to protect the pilgrims and holy land.
However, there were many rich families who were eager to help them with the fight.
They opened the floodgates of abundance and showered them with money, lands, and different businesses.
For that reason, Knights Templar aren’t the group of elite warriors only.
In fact, most members of this group had different kind of duties, such as supporting other members who fight on the front lines.
They used to acquire resources which could be used to fund and equip their fighters.
Recent researches exposed that 90% of the order’s members were indeed the non-combat members.
The only duty they had, as we have explained earlier, was to support the front warriors of their group and develop innovative financial techniques to develop the world’s first multinational corporation.
With utter support from the public, the Knights Templar grew rapidly in membership and power.
For example, they started getting involved in politics. It became one of the simplest ways to have some influence on the authoritative figures and compel them to follow the ideas and decisions.
Besides that, there were lots of other benefits too:
- They were gifted farms and lands on a consistent basis.
- Some warriors relished the authority of castles too.
- It was allowed for them to engage in manufacturing and ship-building.
- It was easy to start an import-export business.
- They also used to receive psychological and spiritual counseling.
The benefits and the status in society aren’t the only things that grew the membership of the Knight Templar. There are indeed some gallant victories too that turned them into heroes.
One of their most famous victories was against Saladin.
When Saladin with his 26,000 soldiers headed toward Jerusalem in 1177, around eighty Templar Knights joined the army of King Baldwin.
They took advantage of Saladin’s mistake and defeated his army and indeed compelled him to end up with only a tenth of his original numbers.
This win turned them into a legend and brought peace in the region for a year.
In the beginning, as their status raised in society, there were some criticisms too from different sectors.
Some families and politicians saw them as a direct threat. Even some religious leaders were against the formation of Knights Templar.
But a prominent French abbot, Bernard of Clairvaux, endorsed them and supported them openly. This open support from the church bolstered their growth even more.
It helped them to relish special rights and advantages.
For example, they were exempt from paying taxes, it wasn’t pertinent for them to answer any authority except the Pope, and they could build their own oratories, which wasn’t straightforward at that time.
The Mid 12th Century Wasn’t Great For The Knights Templar
Knights Templar began to lose their power and status, and it was due to many things.
First, the Muslim world became more united under their leaders, and the Knights Templar started losing their grounds in the holy land.
They even had to relocate their headquarters time and time again to protect themselves.
Second, they invited lots of concerns among other orders, such as Knights Hospitaller and Teutonic Knights.
Their rivals and many other religious scholars started assuming that they have become a state within a state because of their authority and power.
For that reason, this order was dissolved in the 14th century but fortunately revived again after a very long time, at the beginning of the 19th century, as Knights Templar International.
Today, we still have the Knights Templar, but they are a non-governmental organization. They still protect Christian sites in the Holy Land, but in a more “diplomatic manner”.
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Final Words
So there you have it, a complete (brief) history of the Knights Templar, and also instructions on how you too can become a modern-day Knights Templar.
If you’d like to learn more about becoming a Knights Templar, be sure to visit the official website for more details.
Would be HONORED.
I disagree with some of your information. The first area is that Freemasonry is at odds with Christianity. That if you are a Christian you should look elsewhere than the Masonic Knights Templar Order. In addition in Canada, you must swear that you believe in the Holy Trinity to join and you do not need to be a Master of a Lodge to join, only a Royal Arch Mason.
I live in San Antonio, Texas. Where do i go to be a Templar Knight?
Check this here:
http://www.yorkritetexas.org/commandery/info-Commandery-list.php?ID=6
I been doing some family research and found out way way back in the day I had family members who was a knights Templar. I feel it would make him proud of I a decendant of his was to be a knights Templar. Of course I have a different last name than his.