Teutonic Order of Knights of the Lutheran Church
"Order of Solomon Knights of Christ"  
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Teutonic Order of Knights of the Lutheran Church
-WHO WE ARE

"Order of Solomon Knights of Christ"

The Hierarchy:

• 9th Grand Master-Carl Bradley

• Gr. Seneschal General-William Logue

• Gr. Chancellor General- Dieter Leemans
  &

• Ambassador-Dieter Leemans

• Marshal-Kenneth Wilt

• Commanders (P)-Open awaiting Election

• Lieutenant Commanders (P)-Dominick Kidd

• Knight Majors (P)-Diego Mariano Vilardi

• Knight Captains (P)-Open awaiting Election

• Knight Lieutenants (P)-Carole Cousin

• Knights- Werner Leemans, 
                  Naira Mayilyan;
                  Jean Paul Leemans
                  Greta Leemans

• Sergeant Major

• Sergeants- Kenneth Brinson,
                       Michael O'Harrow,

• Corporals

• Squires

• Initiate(s)- Nia Leemans, 
                      Faith Van Boxcstaele

• (P) Denotes Primary or Lead of Position

The following article is intended as an overview of the Templar’s hierarchy.
Please keep in mind that as the Order grew in size and scope when new positions were created.
The Grand Master / Sovereign of the Order:
The Grand Master was the supreme authority of the Templar Order and answered to none save God. Once elected to the office, the Grand Master served for the remainder of his life. In several cases that lifetime was cut short. Several Grand Masters were killed in battle, showing that the position was far more than an administrative one. While each country had its own Master, the Grand Master was above each of them. In addition to overseeing military operations, the Grand Master was also responsible for the business dealings of the Order.
Seneschal:
The Seneschal was the right-hand man to the Grand Master and in modern terms would be similar to a vice president of a corporation. The Seneschal also acted as a consigliere or advisor to the Grand Master and looked after a great deal of the administrative duties. Along with the Grand Master, the Seneschal ruled over eight Templar provincial Masters. These provinces were chiefly Aragon, Apulia, England, France, Hungary, Poitiers, Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal and Scotland.
Ambassador:
The Ambassador is the third in line militarily. He is in command of the light cavalry. He would also be in charge of the Sergeant brothers.
Marshal:
The Marshal of the Order was the Templar in charge of war and anything that was related to it. In this sense the Marshal could be viewed as the second most important member of the Order after the Grand Master. His personal retinue was comprised of two squires, one Turcoman, one turcopole and one sergeant. He also had four horses at his command.
Commander:
The Commander was in charge of the footmen and the equipment.
Lieutenant Commander:
Lieutenant Commander is the Officer in charge of our Orders security. He may contract outside guards, as well as recruit Knights from within our Order as he deems necessary to provide our internal security. He would be considered sixth in line militarily. He has independent command in the field. The Orders Sergeants would fall under his command. 
Knight Major aka Commanders of the Lands:
The Knight Major is the local commander in charge of the commandery, a small templar "city" and stronghold. He has complete command in the field.
Commanders of the Lands:
Jerusalem, Antioch and Tripoli Traditionally, These Templar officers operated much like a Baillie and operated under the Masters. These areas have been extended to other lands as now we are located in many places; Commanders were responsible for all Templar houses, castles and farms in their jurisdiction.

The personal retinue of the Commanders consisted of two squires, two (2) foot soldiers, one sergeant, one deacon and one Saracen scribe. Like others, the Commander had four horses at his command as well as one palfrey (riding horse).
Knight Captain:

The Knight Captain, also known as the Standard Bearer, is in charge of the Squires. He is their disciplinarian, and the man who checks over their very important work of keeping the knights' vehicles, horses and weapons in good order. He didn't actually "bear the standard" in formation or in battle, he marches in front of the banner and leads his marching column.

Knight Lieutenant:

Knight Lieutenant would fall third in line militarily under the Knight Captain in each Commandery. The Knight Lieutenant is a commissioned officer The Sergeant is in charge of Unit security and falls under the chain of command of the Commander at Arms, and when ordered to do so may act independently.

Knight:

The knight is the backbone of the battlefield. Knights are the equivalent of the cavalry. A small force of knights is very powerful, skilled in warfare, able to take on a large number of foot soldiers. This is a position of nobility and knights pass their legacy down to sons, so they may also become a knight. Through out history only a knight may make a Knight, but because we are a private religious Order, becoming a Knight of Jesus Christ requires the approaval of a Baron or higher Noble. GM Carl or another Royal would be required to elevate knight to that of a Baron, as this is a hereditary position of Nobility. GM Carl will maintain the roll, and therefore must be notified as to the disposition of any new Knighthoods within our order. The knights dress in the famous white tunic or habit adorned with a black and gold cross, the Dress Uniform, or the black BDU (battle dress uniform), as the situation calls for. Hair will be kept clean and orderly and knights are allowed beards, in keeping with the Muslim belief that a beard was a sign of greater masculinity. We see no sense in giving any possible enemy a reason not to respect us.

Sergeant Major:

Although not commissioned like a noble knight, the Sergeant Major is still a light cavalry warrant officer, the chief support officer for the knight. Sergeant Majors dress in the same fashion as the knight, although he wears the black cross with no color border.

Sergeants:

Did not have to be of noble birth and to show their lower rank, sergeants wore a black or brown mantle. They were given one horse and had no squires under their command.

Corporals:
Did not have to be of noble birth and to show their lower rank, Corporals wore a black or brown mantle. They were given one horse and had no squires under their command.

Squire:

Squires are the young men or women who, just like in the movies, are there to assist the knight in any way possible, from support and logistics position polishing a weapon. The difference for a Templar Squire is that this may be a hired position, especially in the early years of the Order. Squires are there specifically to test themselves and their mettle and to climb to the order of Knight. The Squire is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated by knighthood.

Initiate(s):

*Are individuals in training to become members of the Order.

*Usually under a senior member for a trail period of 6 weeks.

*As to learn all of the basic standards and protocals and laws of the Order.   
Ladies Auxiliary Corps:

Women are openly accepted and encouraged to experience the fullest participation in all chivalric and knightly activities, quests and missions of the Order of the Temple of Solomon. In the restored Templar Order, women also have equal opportunity to serve in high-level governmental positions as Crown Officers. This is a powerful way to exemplify female leadership in the spirit of Saint Joan of Arc, in the historic tradition of Saint Mary Magdalene.

Although Chivalry of the Middle Ages and Renaissance generally excluded women from most chivalric Orders, the historical record proves that women were actually very much included within the Order of the Temple of Solomon. Medieval Templar rules which appear to restrict the participation of women were merely to provide a reasonable degree of separation, to ensure modesty and respect.

The Temple Rule of 1129 AD evidences an original pre-existing “practice” (during the first 10 years of the Order), that women were in fact “received as Sisters in the Order”, not as a “custom” but as a traditional exception, providing only a reasonable degree of separation for modesty (Rule 70).

 Proving that women were in fact admitted to the Order, it requires all Templars to “refuse to be godfathers or godmothers”, specifically using the additional word referring to women in active Templar service (Rule 72).  The fact of women as “Sisters” in full and equal membership is confirmed by the later rule which commands  to “pray… for our Brothers and for our Sisters” (Rule 541, ca. 1150 AD).

 The active support of women in the Order is further confirmed by the later rule allowing a Knight to receive “services of a woman” for assistance, “by permission” for any appropriate purpose (Rule 679, ca. 1290 AD).

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The Origins of this Order was with the Teutonic Order of Austria and Germany

Since the 1466 Second Peace of Toruń, the Grand Masters of the Teutonic Order were vassals of the Kingdom of Poland, and every Grand Master of the Teutonic Order was obliged to swear an oath of allegiance to the reigning Polish king within six months of taking office. The Grand Masters were also princes and counselors of the Polish kings and the Kingdom of Poland. The State of the Teutonic Order was a part of Poland as a fief. The last Hochmeister, Albert of Brandenburg-Ansbach, converted to Lutheranism and, with the consent of his overlord and uncle, King Sigismund I of Poland, turned the State of the Teutonic Order into the secular Duchy of Prussia per the Treaty of Kraków, which was sealed by the Prussian Homage in Kraków in 1525. The commanderies in the autonomous Livonian Terra Mariana likewise were lost by 1561, as that region also became Protestant. However, the Order retained its bailiwicks in the Holy Roman Empire (Germany and Italy), which had been administered by the Deutschmeister since 1219. As the Order was now limited to its possessions in the German kingdom, incumbent Deutschmeister Walter von Cronberg was also appointed Hochmeister by Emperor Charles V in 1527. The administrative seat was moved to Mergentheim Castle in Franconia. The Hoch und Deutschmeister was ranked as one of the ecclesiastical Princes of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806; when Mergentheim fell to the newly established Kingdom of Württemberg, their residence was relocated to the Deutschordenshaus in Vienna. The dual title lasted until in 1923, when the last secular Grand Master, Archduke Eugen of Austria, resigned from office. 1894–1923 Archduke Eugen of Austria (end of hereditary status); This is where the split in family occurred, and the Fornbacher's de Austria became an unmentioned and unnamed part of the family. They broke away from the Habsburg's as the House Fornbacher-de Austria and also took up the colors as the Order of Solomon - Knights of Christ. As well as the Holy Roman Empire since 1806 and carried the torch into the 21st century. Now as the House of Fornbacher de Austria are extinct and the last of the line was Christine Rosemary Fornbacher-Bradley has died, that torch was passed to her oldest and also only son Carl Bradley.

The other part of the Order continued as the Teutonic Order and now falls under the Pope and Catholic Church. However, this part of the Order that was salvaged from the split has continued on and is an Independent Order of true Teutonic Knight Templars. And as such the Order was also moved back under Poland's Royals and under those royals of this house. As Prince Regent of Poland lasting only from 1917-1918 and the bringing's of WWI the Order was last under Prince Lubomirski who is also part of the Kowalczyk and Fornbacher family group and then it was sent to his relatives in the USA the House of Fornbacher de Austria proper. And has been hereditary since then passing from family member to family member. Grand Master Archduke / Crown Prince Mathew Andrew Förnbacher de Austria until his death on 1 Aug 1921. (Prince Regent of Poland-contested) -his son- Grand Master Archduke / Crown Prince Ernest Gottlieb Fornbacher until his death on 4 Feb 1954. (Prince Regent of Poland-contested) -his son- Grand Master Archduke / Crown Prince Ernest Andrew Matthew Fornbacher until his death on 14 June 2008. (Prince Regent of Poland-contested) -his sister- Grand Master Archduchess / Crown Princess Christine Rosemary Fornbacher until she stepped down due to health issues in 2020. Deceased as of the 15th of March 2024., (Princess Regent of Poland-contested) -her son- Grand Master Archduke, Crown Prince, (Prince Regent of Poland-contested) Carl Bradley. Please see the Prince Bradley Foundation.

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