THE PROCESS
Local Commanderies of Knights Templar submit Nomination Forms from local ministers of their choosing for the Knight Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage to the Committee on Holy Land Pilgrimage of the Grand Commandery of their state (from this point on listed as the State Committee). (See Guidelines for Selection in right column before contacting a local minister.)
Donations are received from local commanderies, divisions, auxiliary groups and others by the State Committee of the Grand Commandery and may be pooled to provide funding for the upcoming pilgrimage.
The State Committee reviews the applications and selects the number of ministers they will be sending based on the available funds, using the criteria listed in ‘Guidelines for Selection of Ministers’.
Some local Commanderies or others choose to fully sponsor a minister and pay the entire fee. In the case of 100% sponsorship, the Commandery or Division often selects the minister for full sponsorship. The 100% sponsored ministers are expected to meet the spirit of the qualifications listed in ‘Guidelines for Selection of Ministers’.
The list of those ministers selected from the application pool and the 100% sponsorships for each state are forwarded to the Holy Land Pilgrimage Committee of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America who oversees the actual travel arrangements. Necessary documents include the Certification form signed by the Grand Recorder and State Pilgrimage Chairman, a copy of the completed Nomination Form, and the full payment for the program.
While some State Committees may follow other procedures, they still follow the process of sending the Nomination Form, Pilgrim Certification Form and full payment for each of their Pilgrim ministers to the Grand Encampment Chairman of the Committee on Holy Land Pilgrimage by the due date of September 30 each year.
No Applications Accepted
We do not accept applications for the Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage. Local Commanderies of Knights Templar (affiliated with the Masonic Fraternity) select Christian ministers from their area to Nominate for the program. These Nominations may be processed locally and then submitted to the state committee on the Holy Land Pilgrimage.
Ministers who may wish to be considered can express their interest in the program to members of the Masonic fraternity in their congregation or area and have them help you make contact with the nearest Commandery of Knights Templar. They can share with them their willingness to be nominated for the program. The decision whether or not to proceed with the nomination process is in the hands of the local Commandery of Knights Templar.
Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage Programs 