The Militia and its history

The OMCE was first organised on July 16th, 1990, and is a perpetuation of the Tradition of the M.C.E., reorganised at the Cruce Signandorum Conventus held on July 27th, 1586, in Luneberg, Germany. The convention was chronicled by Simon Studion in his work Naometria, and those attending included representatives from the crowns of England. Denmark, France and Navarre.The purpose of the M.C.E. at that time was to activate the surviving remnants of the Order of the Temple of Jerusalem (the Knights Templar) and that of the Rosae Crucis, and to actualise the mystical and spiritual doctrinal teachings and practices of both to present to a world on the brink of religious crisis. The outer purpose of the M.C.E. was to protect the religious and mystical significance of the Cross and to prevent its use as an instrument of war. Secondly, the M.C.E. was directed to peacefully promote religious freedom, freedom of thought, and freedom of enquiry. The Inner purpose of the M.C.E. was to establish an exoteric body of Servants of Light to direct and guide humanity towards mystical enlightenment. One of the resulting establishments was 17th Century Rosicrucianism, which was an activation of the Rosae Crucis. Within the OMCE is the perpetuation of a Tradition as well as the Source of a Tradition. Most importantly, however, is the dedication of the Order to accomplish its original mission and plan organised nine centuries ago and inspired many centuries previously. Simply put, that mission is to serve humanity and all its aspects through esoteric, mystical, and spiritual work through the establishment of the sacred principles of freedom, tolerance, harmony, and the foundation of the spiritual practice. Since its establishment the M.C.E has passed through active and passive periods of operation. From 1990 the Militia has been undergoing a world wide resurgence in response to the demands of the times. The Militia follows the compatible Traditions of' the Knights Templar, espoused by the concept or chivalry: though the OMCE in this cycle does not claim to be the direct descendant of the Templars.

The Purpose of the Militia

Today, the Order of the Militia Crucifera Evangelica embraces and perpetuates the spiritual objectives of the movement referred to simply as "the western esoteric tradition." Not a military order at all in the physical sense, its brothers and sisters are militant only in their personal attitudes about maintaining and fostering spiritual principles in their lives. One very basic principle concerns the law that the ends do not justify the means in this Earth culture, humanity. Universal or natural laws and principles apply to everyone equally and operate with or without the knowledge and certainly without the control of any individual or group. The eternal quest for knowledge and truth follows the same inner pathway of the heart for all accordingly to natural law, regardless of gender, race, creed or origin. Each individual must be given total freedom to decide which path must be taken personally.

The OMCE has two main functions: self development and service to humanity. Self development of the men and women who join the OMCE and who must have a sincere interest in esoteric, metaphysical. mystical, or non-sectarian spiritual concepts; and the motivation to apply them to a good and active purpose. The Militia itself is not to be considered as an initial training ground for these disciplines - other organisations exist which perform this task admirably. Rather, the OMCE provides an arena of action for those who wish to put their training into practice in an effective manner. "Food for the Soul" is provided to the members in the form of the Order's doctrine which, in accordance with Natural Law, is an evolving and growing process. Doctrine does come down through the chain of command from higher officers but, in the OMCE. doctrine also evolves from the members themselves. Each member is encouraged to give of' their experience and insights by writing discourses that, if they are in accordance with the Order's principles, can be incorporated into the official doctrine of the Militia at the Commanderie, Preceptory, Priory, or world level. The esoteric and mystical development of the member is catered for by various rituals, meditations and initiations which can be conducted in Commanderies with other members, or, in some instances, in the privacy of their own home.

Service to humanity

In the Militia there is no true advancement except through service to humanity, and specifically to those outside the organisation. A certain amount of energy is required to maintain the physical side of the Order, of course, but the OMCE and its members try to concentrate their efforts on helping others to grow and develop in accordance with their potential. Commanderies adopt projects which are designed to assist, in a constructive manner, those in their local community, thereby putting their high ideals and aspirations into practice. Members isolated, or who are unable to participate in Commanderie work for a variety of reasons, are encouraged to assist by other means.

Finances

Any organisation operating in the physical world must have a regular and reliable source of energy to enable it to do so. Most organisations have set fees, dues or charges which they levy on the membership in order to guarantee an income. The OMCE does not levy dues, but relies on fund-raising activities and donations from the members according to their means and consciences. Should the income be insufficient then obviously the work of the Order would suffer, but we rely on the integrity of the membership to support the material needs of the Militia.