OSMTH - Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani (OSMTH) is a United Nations Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered in Geneva, Switzerland.

"Non nobis, Domine, non nobis,

sed nomini Tuo da gloriam..."

Weekly Prayers

Ordo Supremus Militaris Templi Hierosolymitani, Latin for “The Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem”, and often shortened to the initials OSMTH or SMOTJ.

OSMTH’s raison d’etre is expressed through the Brussels Declaration:

“Aiding humanity on the pilgrimage through life.”

Vision and Commitment

• Christian Ethos, Spirituality and Chivalric Values.
• Domestic Charity and International Humanitarian Aid
• Human Rights and the respect for Human Diversity
• Interfaith Dialogue and Bridge-Building
• Provide humanitarian aid to Christians and all peoples in need around the world, through physical, financial, and moral support.
• Continue programmes that aid Christians around the world, especially in the Holy Land.
• Promote a dialogue based on the principles of peace and justice amongst and between the faiths of the Sons of Abraham and the other great religions of the world, to establish better understanding and greater tolerance.
• Mitigate human suffering by actively participating in activities associated with disaster relief, humanitarian aid, human rights, peace building and sustainable development, and the respect of human diversity.
• Facilitate, mediate and advocate conflict-prevention and resolution by providing subject matter experts and supporting organizations in the fields of religious and international diplomacy.

Within the past month I have met with government and business leaders from Kirkuk and the Kurdish region of Iraq with one of the discussion items centering on Syrian-Christian refugees. This information exists side by side, as noted, with the dangers and work of Canon White in Baghdad and the on the ground work of Father Peter Vasko as his Franciscan Order and the Roman Catholic Church continue their struggle for Christians in the Holy Land.
At the request of HE GP Stelio Venceslai of Italy, and many other Grand Priors and Priors we are exlarging our presence and support for the ever expanding danger to Christians and yes even the historic Churches in the civil war areas in the Middle East. With the agreement of MG Robert Disney, GC; and Colonel Marcel DePicciotto GC –elect, we are expanding our ability to reach quicker and more professionally to at risk issues and locations with the appointment of Chev. Andrew Magliochetti as Special Assistant to the Grand Master for Churches in Siege in the Middle East.
It is my hope that our Grand Priors, officers of OSMTH-I, clergy and all interested members might find the time to read much of the background information we receive on a daily basis as we remain actively in the mix of trying to help address problems for Christians at risk and people in need. It will be my honor to report to the GMC on the major issues facing Christians in the Middle East and how OSMTH-I in cooperation with other NGOs and regional governments are addressing those problems. The enclosures listed above will give some idea of our involvement and may well reflect on the reality that you Order is welcomed and a member of the multi-religious groups, Muslim and Christian, working for peace, human rights and religious freedom.

Dr. Smith (Rev. Robert O. Smith, PhD, ELCA Global Mission, Area Program Director, Middle East and North Africa)

Last month, ICRD conducted back - to - back, faith - based reconciliation workshops in Midyat , Turkey for Kurdish, Syriac Christian, and Arab tribal leaders from the Al - Hassake region of Eastern Syria. The purpose of the first workshop was to produce a social contract between the Kurds and the Syriac Christians that will enable them to live in peace in the future, independent of the future of the Assad regime. The purpose of the second workshop was to facilitate a problem - solving session on political power - sharing and regional security with the leaders of all three groups.The contract is currently being finalized for distribution throughout the region , with the goal of implementing a working regional model that can serve as the basis for a comparable national contract. A tall order, but the initiative has been enthusiastically received by all three groups and is providing a ray of hope in a context where hope is in very short supply. As you will note, we have expanded the scope of our Syrian involvement beyond the opposition elements to include Christian leaders as well. As has been widely reported, Christian communities in the region have been suffering more than most in the midst of the political turmoil. In Iraq, for example, of the approximately one million Christians who lived there before the war, more than 400,000 have fled the country; and many of those who remained behind are internally displaced. In other words, more than 40% of Iraq’s refugees come from a community that represented less than 4% of the total population. In Egypt, Coptic Christians have been bearing the brunt of much of the violence surrounding President Mohamed Morsi's removal. This kind of treatment could easily be repeated in Syria (as it has been elsewhere). For somewhat related reasons, the next seminar, which is scheduled for October, will include Alawites as well.