Founded over 150 years ago in Germany, we are an independent and progressive Christian organisation with two central beliefs: to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself. We have no fixed creeds or dogmas, only a simple statement of faith and identity. Trust, acceptance and respect are the cornerstones of our community. We encourage individuals to explore their own relationship to God and believe that spiritual growth is a fundamentally personal experience.
The meaning behind our use of the word 'Temple' is the key to understanding our beliefs, values and history. It originates from two references in the New Testament.
"Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?"(1 Corinthians 3:16)
"And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple." (1 Peter 2:5a)
We believe that each person is a temple where God’s spirit lives and, most importantly, that people acting together build the foundation of God’s temple in the world.
“Set your mind on God’s kingdom and his justice before everything else and all the rest will come to you as well.” (Matt. 6:33)
This is our guiding motto: to strive towards creating the kingdom of God in the world. While there are many interpretations of the kingdom of God, we were founded on two core beliefs: to love God and to love your neighbour as yourself. We believe in a commitment to practice these commandments everyday to contribute to the growth of a more harmonious world and that the best way to achieve this is when people work cooperatively to care for the wellbeing of others. Community is central to our faith.
Click here to read more about our Beliefs.
No, this isn’t a spelling mistake. We are often confused with the Knights Templar of the Middle Ages but we are known as Templers, not Templars. So while their history is compelling, ours is very different.
There have been one or more communities in Germany ever since the founding of the Temple Society in 1861. Following the founders' planned migration to the Holy Land and the establishment of settlements there, the number of Templers in Württemberg dropped. The hamlet of Kirschenhardthof was relinquished in 1873 and the German headquarters were moved to Stuttgart.
The Temple Society remains active in Germany, centred on the community facility at Stuttgart-Degerloch.
The two regions - Germany and Australia - share the same aim, background, belief and a common understanding; they maintain a strong connection that engenders close cooperation.
Click here to visit their website.
If you would like to find out more about the Temple Society, please Contact Us.