After the expulsion of Timothy Bryant Jones for attempting a coup against the Grandmaster beginning 2/14/22, he first tried to get the former Regent Nicolas Haimovici Hastier to recognize him again,  and claimed he was under Hastier for weeks without his consent. Once the former Regent made a clear statement distancing himself from him, Timothy Bryant Jones then declared himself “acting Regent”, posted a photoshopped certificate of expulsion for Grandmaster Ronald Mangum, and called for an election for a new Grandmaster. 

Since the entirety of the USA Grand Priory honored his previous expulsion by the Grandmaster, Timothy Bryant Jones, alone, as self-appointed Regent, elevated an obscure man, Luis Martinez, to Prior of Florida, then Grand Prior of Puerto Rico, then Grand Cross – all over the course of a mere three weeks.

He then began appointing “Grand Priors” from Templar fan pages across Facebook, granting fancy titles to men who do not even have members under them, who then voted in his false election.

This fraud election, held April 2022, resulted in this handpicked Martinez as winner for the express purpose of Timothy Bryant Jones to maintain a hand on the wheels of power (over an empty shell.)

This election was initiated by Timothy Bryant Jones, expelled on 2/17/22, and is therefore without any legitimacy or validity.

Luis Martinez, needless to say, was never known on the International stage, and is not part of the legitimate OSMTJ.

Below is the response from the only legitimate Grandmaster of the OSMTJ, Ronald S. Mangum:

Recently the former Chancellor of the Ordre Souverain et Militaire du Temple de Jérusalem, Timothy Bryant Jones, who was expelled from the Order, has been publishing posts claiming that there has been an election of a new Grand Master to replace me. 

Let’s look at the facts: Mr. Jones claims to be Regent of the Order by virtue of the Statutes of the Order (which I drafted) that makes the Chancellor the Regent in the case of the death or “Total and Permanent Disability” of the current Grand Master. I am not dead or disabled in any fashion, so Mr. Jones’ has no authority to act as Regent of the Order (further, he even denies my election and any acts that I have conducted since my election, yet he purports to act under Statutes that I drafted after I was elected).

Without any authority, Mr. Jones used lies and forged documents to assemble a list of 22 individuals who he claims are Grand Priors without any proof of their installation as Grand Priors and conspires with an “independent” arbiter to hold an international election for a new Grand Master. His plea to ‘all’ Templar Grand Priors to run in the election produced two candidates out what are arguably dozens of potential Templar Grand Priors from all branches of Templarism. The election was “held” and according to his independent arbiter, out of 22 supposed Grand Priories, only 10 cast votes and of those only 6 cast votes for the “winning” candidate.

I have no ill will toward the “winner”, but it is painfully obvious that he is not chosen by any majority of members of our Order. He is Master of six. Consequently, I choose to ignore the entire event as a misbegotten, traitorous attempt to arrogate power unto Mr. Jones. He remains an expelled member of the Order.

Brigadier General Ronald Scott Mangum, PhD, JD

United States Army (Retired)

Grandmaster of the OSMTJ