On 14 October 1781, when colonial American soldiers captured British redoubt #10 on the Yorktown battlefield, our war for our independence was won. The official surrender came just five days later, ending the conflict that cost the lives of 70,000 men. Unfortunately, the Yorktown battlefield was not to be our final field of conflict. Indeed, battlefields are quite a never-ending, common theme among humanity – and our own nation. Jesus prophesied that “there will be wars and rumors of wars” before His inevitable return. (Matthew 24:6) He was right – and will continue to be right until He returns to…
I’ve discovered that there is some sensitivity to my often deliberate display of a historically accurate image of our combat-ready forefathers fighting on a battlefield in my weekly communication header graphic. Perhaps there is even discomfort with what might be viewed as evocative language embedded in the title Battlefield Report. I fully understand and totally respect at least one reason for that. In this 21st century, Knights and Dames of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem are not combat-ready for many very good and scripturally consistent reasons, even though we are classified as a “Military Order.” If…
The last GC&I we attended before traveling to Hartford was, of course, hosted by the Temple Church in Orlando, Labor Day weekend 2023. So how did the 2023 and 2024 GC&Is compare from a close-and-personal viewpoint? For those of you unable to attend, here is your report! They did not! As this year’s Hartford GC&I Chairperson, Anne Fraley, published early on, “Hartford is not Orlando!” And it was not. Indeed, it was that clear distinction that made for a unique and engaging GC&I. We planned, attended, and totally loved the Orlando GC&I. Likewise, we also enjoyed Hartford very much. The…
Every new generation of Christians has a new calling – because every generation lives in a different world than their predecessors. In our case as Templars, our world is profoundly different than our Templar forefathers lived in nearly a millennia before us. But we do share one most essential thing – and that is our reason for existing as a functioning entity in the Kingdom of God. Our Templar predecessors and we exist for exactly the same reason: to keep the roads of Jerusalem safe and open to Christians and all worshipers who are led there by God to worship,…
A submarine with screen doors immediately invokes a hilarious image of engineering absurdity. Of course, the moment this brand-new billion-dollar boat is launched, it will immediately sink. What is the problem with this design? It may have been engineered with simple incompetence, or it may have been socially engineered, or it may have been designed with good intentions. But in the end, the design failed because failure was the only possible outcome. The moment the designers disregarded reality, it was doomed to fail. Some real submarines sink – but the vast majority of them do not. It is because they…
Do you remember the moment the sword of the accolade touched your head and shoulders as you heard the words that christened you a Templar Knight or Dame? It was a moment I will never forget. But have you asked yourself what actual, real-world authority was vested in that act? The answer is simple. It was the fons honorum (Latin), or the fount of honour. A fons honorum is a person, who, by virtue of their official position, has the exclusive right of conferring legitimate titles of nobility and orders of chivalry such as knighthood on other persons. In the case of the Sovereign…
I am a Templar Knight – for real. It is my calling from God. I am also an Aquanaut – for real. It too is my calling from God. Therefore, you can take my word for this: it is MUCH more difficult to swing my Templar sword under the ocean than it is on the shore! You may think that this bit of Templar knowledge is of dubious importance. But I can assure you, it is not. I am also a NASA engineer and scientist. These too are my calling from God. From this experience, I can tell you that…
The title of this Battlefield Report is from the very successful tagline of a SciFi movie from the 1970s. The statement actually describes a scientific principle. Any sound requires a medium of propagation – such as air. In the absence of that medium – like in the near-perfect vacuum of space – no sound can move from its origin to an ear that can hear it. A Templar Priory is like that. In the absence of a medium of propagation, all the members hear is silence. Silence in any Priory virtually guarantees stagnation and decline. The medium of propagation in…
We are excited to announce The Temple Church Real Templars Seminar Series – real Templars sharing their intriguing stories, fascinating experience, and inside knowledge on interesting and diverse topics that are sure to capture your attention and pique your curiosity. We will offer the 2024 quarterly free seminars on the second Thursday of June, August, and November at 7:00 PM with a targeted duration of 1 hour, to include a short intro of the speaker, their presentation, and a post-seminar Q&A session. And you can attend these live presentations from the comfort and convenience of your home – or no…
This week’s Templar Battlefield Report is a brief video of the Prior’s presentation recorded at the 20 April Business Meeting during the Convent and Investiture weekend in Ocala. I encourage you to view the short, informative 14-minute clip. It describes a clear and concise road map for The Temple Church that I intend to travel with you for the next two years as it is my privilege to serve you as Prior VII. I pray to our GOD that it will be an exciting, productive, and absorbing journey for you, characterized by ENHANCED ENGAGEMENT leading to SUSTAINABILITY of our Templar…