Subcommandery of the Johanniter USA

Who are we?

The Johanniter in the United States of America is a branch of the Johanniterorden, officially known as the Brandenburg Bailiwick of the Knightly Order of St. John of the Hospital at Jerusalem. We are a brotherhood devoted to charitable, hands-on Christian service, serving our Master Jesus by serving "our masters the frail, the weak, the sick, and the poor."

While the roughly six dozen Johanniter knights in the United States—along with their friends and families—belong to various Protestant denominations, they work closely together with other Christian and non-Christian charitable organizations, including other branches of the Alliance of the the Orders of St. John of Jerusalem. The Johanniter in the USA are organized within the Subcommandery USA, regionally divided into the Southeast Chapter, the Texas Chapter, the New York Chapter, and the Washington D.C. Chapter.

What do we do?

Unlike our German confreres, Johanniter in the United States do not have our own hospitals or senior citizen homes, nor the Johanniter Rescue Squads on our highways or in our neighborhoods. Instead, we find our callings close to home; our primary efforts are within our respective churches, in which most of us hold positions of leadership and responsibility.

Serving at home

Some examples of our recent service within local communities include:

Johanniter in Texas assisted hurricane victims by providing everything from clothing to kitchenware, finding accommodations, and aiding with job placement
Johanniter teams in Washington D.C., Dallas, and in the Boston Area routinely prepare and serve meals for wounded troops and their families in the military hospitals (e.g., at the local Fisher Houses)
Johanniter individually visit patients in nursing homes, hospitals, and in hospice care
At H.D. Cooke Elementary School, in an economically-disadvantaged Hispanic neighborhood in Washington D.C., we have painted the old library, bought books, and provided career consulting; we also host an annual Advent reading followed by a much-loved piñata flogging
Confreres of the Southeast Chapter had themselves locked overnight into a homeless shelter in Charlotte, NC to provide security and make things safe for everyone—a truly knightly service!

Serving around the globe

Since we belong to an international service brotherhood, the scope of our charitable efforts also extends around the globe:

We have a Nurses Stipend Program that provides hands-on training in the USA for nurses from Johanniter hospitals and nursing homes abroad (this is developing into an exchange program to and from both sides of the Atlantic)
Johanniter have supported the Child Rehabilitation Centre in St. Petersburg, Russia, including being represented on the Board of Directors and working with a growing number of supporters from within Russia
We have launched an informal international Johanniter Help Web to facilitate advice, information exchange, funds and other support wherever it is needed

Individual Johanniter and local teams work closely with other organizations, including the Salvation Army, an inner-city church in New York City, the Community Family Lutheran Service in Washington D.C., and an Atlanta-based organization that cares for abused women and children. Many of our confreres have brought their personal favorite charities to the attention of the Order, and we have made those part of our own ongoing mission of service.

Our Mission

Johanniter do not change the world, but they want to make a difference. Good Johanniter are good Samaritans, helping wherever and whenever the Lord presents us with a neighbor in need of help. This is our mission.