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Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage

SLIDE 1: Logo – Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage

SLIDE 2: 40 years, 2000 ministers

For almost forty years, since 1977, the Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage has sought to strengthen and enrich Christian ministry by sending credentialed ministers on an eleven day study pilgrimage to the land where our faith began. Over 2000 Christian ministers have made this journey with the Knights Templar as their sponsors and hosts. This program has left, and continues to leave, an enduring legacy.

The Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage is a program of the Grand Encampment Knights Templar of the United States of America.

SLIDE 3: Mission

Our Mission is to send credentialed Christian Ministers on a Biblical study and historical / cultural immersion experience who would not have the opportunity otherwise.

SLIDE 4: Purpose

OUR PURPOSE is to strengthen Christian ministry by providing an intensive travel and study program for credentialed ministers in the form of a study pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Our experience tells us how much the opportunity to 'walk where Jesus walked' can positively affect the preaching, teaching, and spirituality of Christian ministers. It is our plan to immerse the Pilgrim ministers in the land, the sights, the sounds, the history, and the cultures of the Holy Land, past and present.

SLIDE 5: “Credentialed”

Some of you may be asking, “What is meant by credentialed ministers?” Churches and denominations are preparing and certifying their pastoral leadership in a variety of ways. This program is intended for those who have some sort of ministerial credential and are serving in a primary leadership role as a pastor. Therefore, a minister needs to be Ordained, Certified, Licensed, etc.) A copy of the minster’s credentials (certificate or letter) is to accompany the nomination form.

SLIDE 6: Jerusalem Overview

The Committee on Holy Land Pilgrimage of the Grand Encampment organizes and supervises the planning and execution of the overall program and the pilgrimage travel groups each year. Travel is usually done during February (and sometimes into March). Pilgrimages are eleven days long with nine days in the Holy Land.

Pilgrimage groups meet at an airport in New York and travel together from that point until their return to New York. The cost per Pilgrim Minister varies from year to year and is announced in the spring by the Chairman of the Grand Encampment Committee on Holy Land Pilgrimage.

SLIDE 7: Program Details

The Grand Encampment fees cover:

Round trip flights from New York to Tel Aviv and returning to New York.

Airline fuel surcharges and Airport Taxes.

9 nights accommodations, 8 Breakfast, 7 Lunches, 9 Dinners.

Arrival & Departure Transfers. Sightseeing as per established itinerary.

Highly regarded professional Israeli Tour Guide

Basic tips to guide, driver, and hotel staff. Travel Insurance.

The Grand Encampment fees do not cover:Personal incidentals, souvenirs, and travel from home area to New York and back. (It is highly recommended that each State Committee consider covering the cost of this domestic flight and that those flight arrangements be made with the tour company so that they are coordinated with the international flight arrangements.)

The Grand Encampment Committee on Holy Land Pilgrimage does not fund the travel of Pilgrim ministers. Each state’s Grand Commandery or sponsoring local Commandery of Knights Templar covers the costs of the Pilgrim’s travel.

SLIDE 8: Annual Process

Here is the step by step process of how a minister can end up participating in our annual pilgrimage.

Local Commanderies of Knights Templar submit applications 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.

Donations are received from local Commanderies, divisions, auxillary 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.

While some State Committees may follow other procedures, they still follow the process of sending the Application/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 October 10 each year.

SLIDE 9: April / May

Here is THE YEARLY TIMELINE

  • In April / May: The Chairman of the Grand Encampment Committee on the Holy Land Pilgrimage sends to each State Chairman and the Grand Recorder of each state the information and forms for the coming year’s pilgrimage (which is the following February).

SLIDE 10: Throughout the year

  • Throughout the year: Donations may be made and Application / Nomination Forms submitted by local Commanderies to the State Committee following their state procedures.

SLIDE 11: August / September

  • In August / September: State Committees make their selection of nominated ministers and affirm fully sponsored ministers.

SLIDE 12: Important Deadline !!

  • By October 10: State Committees send the following items for each pilgrim minister they have chosen: Nomination Form, Pilgrim Certification Form, and full payment.

SLIDE 13: As information is received

  • As information is received by the Chairman: The Grand Encampment Chairperson of the Committee on Holy Land Pilgrimage sends a Registration Form and a Certificate of Agreement to each of the Pilgrim ministers that must be returned to the Chairman within ten days.

SLIDE 14: Mid-November

  • In mid-November: Each Pilgrim minister will be sent information regarding travel arrangements, dates of travel, tour hosts, and links to web sites with much information to assist them in preparing for this great experience.

SLIDE 15: Pilgrimage Groups

  • During February ( sometimes into March): Pilgrim ministers travel during February (and sometimes into March). Pilgrimages are eleven days. Travel date preference will be honored on a first come, first served basis when there are multiple pilgrimage dates in the same year.

SLIDE 16: Guidelines Sheet

The Knight Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage is intended to be an investment in current and active ministry. To help in achieving that, the following guidelines are recommended for the selection ministers to be nominated, selected, or sponsored.

Please carefully consider these guidelines before inviting ministers to apply.

Ministers to be considered should:

  • Have never traveled to the Holy Land before.
  • Be serving in some form of Credentialed Ministry (Ordained, Certified, Licensed, etc.) A copy of the minster’s credentials (certificate or letter) is to accompany the nomination form.
  • Be currently serving in a leadership ministry, with regular preaching responsibility. This means that they are employed by the church in a leadership role and that ministry is considered a primary source of income.
  • Have served at least one year in ministry in a primary leadership role as pastor / minister.
  • Have at least ten years of ongoing service remaining in their active ministry. This opportunity is intended to enhance the ongoing preaching, teaching and overall biblical understanding of the participant, and in turn, benefit those they serve.
  • Be of good physical health (if the idea of walking a brisk mile or more – uphill, non-stop, with steps - is a concern, this may not be the program from which this person would benefit). This is a physically rigorous program.
  • Be willing to travel with an ecumenical group of other ministers from many denominations and religious groups, both male and female ministers, and maintain a professional and courteous attitude toward all.
  • Be willing to travel in a program sponsored by the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the USA, an appendant organization of Freemasonry.
  • Be willing to travel without their spouse. This is non-negotiable.
  • Have the understanding that this is a strenuous educational and spiritual study seminar / historical & cultural immersion experience and not a vacation trip.

SLIDE 17: Sea of Galilee

Listen to the reflections of Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage participants, in their own words:

“When we were on the Sea of Galilee, I felt so close and connected to God. It was a very worshipful time as we sang praises to our Lord. Just being able to be where Jesus lived over 2000 years ago is amazing in itself. I cried, I prayed, I worshiped my Lord in an amazing way. I will never be the same. Praise the Lord!”

SLIDE 18: Pilgrims taking notes

“I had no idea how valuable this trip would be to me.”

SLIDE 19: Young Pastor

He goes on to say: “Having gone on this trip at thirty-three years of age means that this pilgrimage is going to have a lasting impact for many more years. One of our colleagues remarked at the end of our trip, “Before I read the Bible in black and white; now I’m reading it in living color!” That has been so true for me, but I’m also appreciative of the fact that it has forever changed how I will read and teach the scriptures for a greater length of my career. A tool like this pilgrimage is very powerful, and I agree with many others that the younger the ministers you can target for taking on this journey, the greater the impact it will have over multiple generations in the churches they will serve. That, and it has helped shape my perception of the Knights Templar, as well as their contribution to the work of the Kingdom of God.”

SLIDE 20: Wall / Fence

One pilgrim minister shares this:

“I was surprised at the balanced approach the pilgrimage took toward the political situation in Israel. Very good for you. I cannot thank the Knights Templar enough. I am so very grateful to have been chosen for this trip. It seems so unlikely that you all would invest so much in a bunch of leaders you do not know, in the hope that the investment would make us better at what we do. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I cannot help but think that the church is much strengthened by what you do.”

SLIDE 21: Ezra

Another pilgrim minister writes:

“The trip as a whole was phenomenal! I thoroughly enjoyed the entire pilgrimage from beginning to end. The generosity of the Knights Templar is just amazing, and they provided us with a first class trip, from soup to nuts. Ezra, our Israeli tour guide was the highlight of the trip for me – he does such a great job providing the context and background of the many sites we visit, and there are few questions he cannot answer without a good amount of information and insight. The Knights Templar hosts do a wonderful job as group leaders and provided wonderful advance information, and kept us up to speed as we made our way along. It is truly a life-changing experience, and I will forever be in debt to the Knights Templar for their generosity!”

SLIDE22: Sunset

And maybe most important of all:

“My life has been forever changed.”

In the words of the pilgrim ministers themselves – this valuable program speaks for itself. Please do your part in

  • sharing this information,
  • connecting people to the website, and
  • promoting this important investment in Christian ministry
  • By nominating ministers and
  • Raising funds.

SLIDE 23: CONTACT And INFORMATION sources:

All of our information, forms, and contact information are available on the Grand Encampment web site.

knightstemplar.org/Click on Holy Land Pilgrimage

Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America

Chairman of The Committee on Holy Land Pilgrimage is

EMMETT MILLS

1713 Betrillo Ct.; (248) 217-7132 Cell

The Villages, FL 32162

SLIDE 24: 2017 “In the Footsteps of Jesus” information

And finally – for all of those who ask “When are you going to have a pilgrimage in which regular people can participate, Sir Knights, ladies, friends and guests --
November 6 – 16, 2017.

Find the details by going to the Grand Encampment web site, clicking on Holy Land Pilgrimage, then clicking on – “In the Footsteps of Jesus.”

SLIDE 25: For more information -

Contact information for:

Rev. & Sir KnightDuane Kemerley, Tour Host Coordinator

567.376.9741 Mobile and Text

SLIDE 26: Logo – Knights Templar Holy Land Pilgrimage

KTHLP_ProgramDescription 2016