Order of the Knights of The Apostles

Welcome to the Order of the Knights of the Apostles is an outreach program of the Evangelical Christian Fellowship Ministry.  The Order is a Christian Self-Improvement .  The aim of the Order is to promote Christian ideals within the individual.  There are three levels of Knights within the Order.  Each of these three levels must normally be achieved in order, although direct commissions are available from the First Knight.  Knighthood is open to both men and women.  In order to apply for Knighthood the applicant should read the information on this page.

The three levels of Knighthood in the Order of the Knights of the Apostles are:

Holy Knight of the Order

This is the entry level rank of the Order, and must normally be achieved before any other rank may be bestowed.  In order to qualify for this rank the individual must pledge themselves to daily study of the Holy Bible.  The Holy Knight should follow the lead of the Holy Ghost, through prayer, to decide what part or parts of the Bible to study each day.  The Knight realizes that only through dedicated study may they grow as a Christian, and only through this growth may they advance to the upper orders.

Grand Knight of the Order

This is the middle level rank of the Order.  The candidate for this rank must already hold the rank of Holy Knight, or be commissioned by the First Knight directly to this level.  In addition to the qualifications for Holy Knight, the Grand Knight must pledge themselves to acts of Christian kindness and benevolence.  The Knight realizes that the true Christian is always looking for ways to spread the love of Christ, and by demonstrating daily acts of kindness they can advance as Christians, as individuals, and as Knights.

Lord (Lady) Knight of the Order

This is the upper level rank of the Order.  The candidate for this rank must already hold the rank of Grand Knight, or be commissioned by the First Knight directly to this level.  In addition to the qualifications for Holy Knight and Grand Knight, the Lord or Lady Knight must pledge themselves to utilize every opportunity to spread God's Word to whomever they meet.  The Lord (Lady) Knight realizes that the true Christian is always looking for opportunities to tell others of the greatness of Jesus Christ, and will use whatever is at their disposal to do so.  The Lord (Lady) Knight knows that only through the spreading of God's Word can they mature as Christians.      

Application to Join the Holy Order.

A Brief History of the Knight of the Holy Order

In the time of the Crusades and before, it was the common practice of the Catholic Church, along with different Nations, to set up Orders of Knighthood. The Church used Sacred Orders of different Saints to appoint their Knights into God's service.

These Knights were the military officers of their time. They led the men-at-arms and had the responsibility of protecting Church and State from all invaders. Whether protecting the home, or going forth, in the name of Sovereign and Church, they upheld the loyalty of their Orders.

Only Kings had the right to create Royal Orders and grant landed titles. They appointed the Lords and various Dukes or Counts. These appointed Lords maintained the districts given to them and gave loyalty to their Sovereigns above all. These men were in essence the local militia of the time.

The Church, being already multinational, needed a different sort of protectorate. By the time of the Crusades, the Church had spread throughout Western Europe. In order for the Church to control its sacred holdings and power within the separate nations and to keep the unholy of the East from infringing upon the Holy domain, they needed several armies. To maintain loyalty within the ranks of these armies, the Church required a core of men devout to the Church. The Church set up Holy orders that the anointed Knights would swear allegiance to with their mortal souls at risk. These Knights of the Holy Order of different Saints then did the Pope's bidding.

The Knight of the Church was often the younger son of nobility without landed rights or a Freeman warrior of no stature. The purpose of the Order was to allow bestowing ranks of Knighthood upon these  warriors of the Church. This raised these men to equality of rank with the Royal Knights. More often than not, the title was actually purchased from the Church. The level of rank of these Knights greatly depended on the amount paid for the title. Seldom was the highest rank given for skill, loyalty, or spiritual credence.

Through the customs of chivalry of then and even today, this conference of title gave the Knight of the Order raised status amongst the common people. Though the title does not carry with it any properties or rewards, many of the Knights that received the Holy Orders became wealthy in their own right.

Today the rules of chivalry have evolved to a less violent manner than of olden times. The title of Knight of the Holy Order no longer requires the titled to take up arms in defense of the Church. Instead, it is now given or purchased for social prestige. In America, the government may not recognize titles of nobility given to its citizens. Only those having titles of an honorary religious nature are allowed to be in use by the citizen.

The person receiving a title of a religious order has the right to a Crest, or a Coat (Cote) of Arms. The Knight may use the epithet of Sir (or Lady) before their name and the initials of their Order after their name. They may set up clubs or social groups within their Order. They may appoint Knights, Squires, Pages, Ladies, and Maids of lesser rank within their group with the permission of the Main Order and by submitting the names to the Orders Registry.

A Knight of the Order will always maintain the rules of the Holy Order, the customs of chivalry, and the laws of the land in which they reside.