| Commander | Kevin Wightman, PC |
| Generalissimo | Gary Stambaugh |
| Captain General | John Vennevy |
| Senior Warden | Eugene Davison, PC |
| Junior Warden | N.S. Jack Ruby, PC |
| Prelate | Roger Morris |
| Treasurer | Robert Dicks, PC |
| Recorder | Eric Read, PC |
| Sword Bearer | Jason McChonnachie |
| Standard Bearer | Emil Abend |
| Warder | John Champgane |
| Sentinel | Robert Snider, PC |
The Masonic Commandery, formally known as the United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta, is a Christian-oriented fraternal order within the York Rite of Freemasonry. It draws its inspiration and symbolism from the historical Knights Templar, the medieval Catholic military order founded in 1119 to protect Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land. The medieval Templars were renowned for their military prowess, distinctive white mantles with a red cross, and eventual immense wealth and financial infrastructure before their suppression by King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V in the early 14th century. However, it is crucial to note that modern Masonic Templarism does not claim a direct, unbroken historical lineage to the medieval order, treating the connection as symbolic and allegorical.
The concept of integrating chivalric and Templar themes into Freemasonry began to emerge in the mid-18th century, primarily in France and Great Britain. Early high-degree systems, such as the Scottish Rite and various other rites, began incorporating degrees that built upon the Master Mason degree and introduced the lore of the Crusades and military knighthood. A key early influence was the 1737 oration of the Chevalier Ramsay, which, though historically unfounded, promoted the idea that Freemasonry itself had crusader roots. By the late 18th century, the Knights Templar degree had gained popularity and was being conferred by various Masonic bodies, including Blue Lodges and later, independent “Encampments.”
In the United States, independent Encampments conferring the Templar degrees began to appear in the late 18th century, with figures like Paul Revere receiving the Order in 1769. The need for a centralized governing body led to a convention in 1816, which resulted in the formation of the General Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America . This new national structure unified the various local bodies, standardizing the rituals and establishing the framework for what would become the modern Commandery. This body officially organized the degrees into a set of “Orders” that must be completed: the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross, the Order of Malta, and the Order of the Temple (the main Knights Templar Order).
Today, the Masonic Commandery (or Encampment) is the final body a Master Mason completes in the American York Rite. Membership is only open to Master Masons who are also Royal Arch Masons and who profess a belief in the Christian religion, which distinguishes it from the non-denominational requirements of the initial Masonic Lodge degrees. The Commandery’s ritualistic Orders are designed to teach lessons of chivalry, piety, and protection of the Christian faith, drawing moral and philosophical teachings from the Crusader era. Through its structured organization, regalia, and drill, the Masonic Commandery carries forward the symbolism of the medieval knights in a fraternal context, focusing on moral and spiritual warfare rather than physical combat.