CHURCHES, MISSIONS AND GROUPS

Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, USA

Today, Scientology is practiced in more than 125 countries. Its churches comprise a hierarchy which ministers services from the most basic to the most spiritually advanced, raising man out of his day-to-day problems and carrying him to never-before envisioned spiritual vistas.

The millions of people who have been introduced to the miracles of L. Ron Hubbard’s technology are a broad mixture of cultures, races and nationalities. Each day they are joined by thousands more to whom Scientology is brand-new.

A person discovering Scientology for the first time usually reads a book, learns about the subject from a friend, attends a lecture in someone’s home or takes an introductory course at a local mission. As it was in the early 1950s, news about the miracles of Dianetics and Scientology is still most often spread by personal contact and word of mouth.

Click for larger photo Church of Scientology of Hamburg, Germany

Those who carry forward this message of a bright and hopeful future are the field auditors, groups and missions of Scientology, which exist to minister the religion at the grass-roots level.

Above this level are the more established churches of Scientology which are the centers for Scientology in their cities and the focal points for many community outreach activities. Here, parishioners come to study Scientology scripture and learn to audit.

The more advanced Scientology churches minister the highest levels of auditing and training, including the OT levels. Here, parishioners are certain to rediscover their true potential as spiritual beings.

To serve the spiritual needs of congregations and to ensure all religious services are ministered in strict accordance with Scientology scripture, the worldwide churches of Scientology are organized in a hierarchical structure which includes churches that minister directly to Scientology parishioners, as well as church “management” organizations that oversee, support and guide their activities. This section provides an explanation of the former category of Scientology churches — those that directly minister to the needs of the growing number of Scientologists throughout the world.