Aboard the The Sea Org Motor Vessel Freewinds

Each year, the Church of Scientology celebrates the anniversary of the Maiden Voyage of the Freewinds—Scientology's religious retreat. Mr. David Miscavige traditionally briefs the most senior Scientologists in a week-long convocation.

According to the Scientology website: "The Freewinds serves as the Church of Scientology's advanced religious retreat. The 440-foot motor vessel provides a distraction-free environment for parishioners to study and experience the highest level of spiritual counseling available in the Scientology religion.

"In 2008, to celebrate her 20th anniversary, the Freewinds underwent the largest refit in her history. Far more than a cosmetic upgrade, the ship was stripped from stem to stern, below the water line to the top of her stacks, covering all six decks. She is a brand-new, fully redesigned, technologically advanced, cutting-edge vessel serving as a religious retreat for ministering religious services at the highest levels of Scientology."

Who is David Miscavige? - A Biography

David Miscavige is the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion

David Miscavige is the ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion. From his position as Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), Mr. Miscavige bears the ultimate responsibility for ensuring the standard and pure application of L. Ron Hubbard’s technologies of Dianetics and Scientology and for Keeping Scientology Working.

In that capacity, Mr. Miscavige has redefined the term “religious leader” to fit the tasks necessary to direct a truly unique, contemporary religion—a religion born in the twentieth century, which has achieved an unprecedented level of expansion in the twenty-first century, including some 8,500 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups across 165 nations.

Who is David Miscavige? - A Biography

David Miscavige a Biography Creating a New Era of Expansion

David Miscavige works for—and answers to—Scientology’s millions of parishioners. He is unrelenting in his service to their interests and the interests of the religion. The period of stellar growth he has spearheaded has been described as nothing short of the renaissance of the Scientology religion.

As the driving force behind a worldwide program to expand all Churches of Scientology to better serve their communities, Mr. Miscavige led the creation of a new breed of Scientology Churches. These Churches stand as points of succor where all are welcome. These are also the Churches from which Scientologists extend their social betterment programs to mitigate intolerance, illiteracy, immorality and drug abuse.

L. Ron Hubbard expressed the goal of Scientology to create Churches that reflect physically what they provide spiritually:

“You are creating an island of friendliness, decency and succor in the sea of a violent world. ... Some time in the future the islands will become the sea.”

To realize this goal, in 2004 Mr. Miscavige launched a program with the stated aim of making every Church of Scientology into an ideal Church of Scientology—ideal in location, design, quality of religious services and social betterment programs.

Who is David Miscavige? - A Biography

David Miscavige is Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center (RTC), a non-profit organization formed in 1982 to preserve, maintain and protect the Scientology religion.

RTC holds the ultimate ecclesiastical authority regarding the standard and pure application of L. Ron Hubbard’s religious technologies. Religious Technology Center is not part of the management structure of the Church, nor is it involved in the Church’s day-to-day affairs.

The Chairman of the Board is the most senior office in RTC, and one for which David Miscavige is uniquely qualified. An active Scientologist for most of his life, he first became a Church staff member in 1976 and has since been involved with nearly every aspect of the Church’s activities.

Who is David Miscavige? - A Biography

L. RON HUBBARD'S TRUSTED FRIEND

From the Scientology web site:

Born in 1960, David Miscavige has been a Scientologist for most of his life and is still remembered as the 12-year-old prodigy who served as the youngest professional auditor at Saint Hill’s famed Hubbard Guidance Center in England.

He is further remembered for the fact that barely a year after entering the Scientology religious order, the Sea Organization, at the age of 16, he was among a handful of people selected to work directly with L. Ron Hubbard. After personal instruction from Mr. Hubbard, the 17-year-old David Miscavige served as his Director of Photography for the first Scientology training films.

Later, at Mr. Hubbard’s request, Mr. Miscavige served as the senior executive supervising ecclesiastical missions to Scientology Churches around the world. By the age of 18, David Miscavige had become the individual L. Ron Hubbard called upon to carry out the most important assignments. No Church executive in history ever received more direct communication from L. Ron Hubbard than Mr. Miscavige.

In 1983, L. Ron Hubbard described a heroic Church executive who cleaned the ranks of rogue staff attempting to seize control of Scientology while Mr. Hubbard was engaged in intensive research and absent from the Church. As Mr. Hubbard himself phrased it:

“So forgive me for not managing the Church when it almost fell into hostile hands. It all came out all right. Why? Because real Scientologists made sure it did. My faith was justified.”

That real Scientologist L. Ron Hubbard spoke of was David Miscavige.

In light of what had nearly transpired, L. Ron Hubbard requested a corporate reorganization of the Church designed to ensure the Church would not fall into hostile hands and the religion could move on into perpetuity—always remaining true to its Source teachings. To that end, L. Ron Hubbard saw to the formation of Religious Technology Center to hold the Scientology and Dianetics trademarks and to preserve, maintain and protect the Scientology religion. He appointed Mr. Miscavige a Trustee of that Church organization.

To oversee his personal affairs for the remainder of his life, L. Ron Hubbard also appointed David Miscavige as chairman of the organization charged with handling those matters.

Following L. Ron Hubbard’s passing in 1986, it was Mr. Miscavige who steered Scientology through those difficult days; for as history demonstrates, the true test of any religion is to survive the passing of its Founder. Indeed, it was Mr. Miscavige who secured that survival by obtaining full religious recognition in the United States and ushering Scientology onto the global stage.

Since then, Mr. Miscavige has steadfastly carried forth L. Ron Hubbard’s legacy, until Scientology now stands as the only major religion to emerge in this modern age. To be sure, what Mr. Miscavige has done is no more or less than the fulfillment of L. Ron Hubbard’s vision—a vision he knew would be faithfully carried out with Mr. Miscavige at the helm.

“Trust and friendship are things forged in fire and pounded out on the anvil of life. We have been through a lot together. I trust you as you trust me.”

—L. Ron Hubbard to David Miscavige Scientology

Who is David Miscavige? - A
Biography

David Miscavige in support of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers

Last week the Scientology Volunteer Ministers opened their first house in Haiti, after four months of restless aid work since this country was shaken by a 7.0 earthquake on 12 January 2010. The Volunteer Ministers program of the Church of Scientology was created by Scientology founder several decades ago and is very much welcomed and supported by the Church's ecclesiastical leader, David Miscavige.

Already in August 2004 at the 35th Anniversary of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International, Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of Religious Technology Center, presented a global overview of the Scientology religion, which featured this description of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers:

"They have become internationally known and recognized for what has been described as spiritual first aid, and to that end they are ready and organized to respond to any disaster — 'man-made' or by force of nature.

"Most notable, of course, were our Volunteer Ministers at Ground Zero, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

"Everything — from logistical work on the bucket lines, to caring for the rescue workers so deeply affected in the aftermath, our Volunteer Ministers were there for the duration. As for the help they provided, they were the only civilian group invited to participate in the Police Service, in memory of rescue efforts on the one-year anniversary of September 11th.

"But, what matters to us is the help we bring, and it is literally the same story in countries across the world.

"In Hungary and the Czech Republic — when floods brought whole communities to a standstill, our Volunteer Ministers were there both working to repair the levies, and to succor those who had lost their homes and possessions.

"Then again in Moscow, when terrorists struck at a popular opera house, the local media alerted citizens that the Volunteer Ministers were on hand to provide comfort to the traumatized.

"When bushfires raged in Australia, there again were the Volunteer Ministers, bringing relief to exhausted firefighters, working double and triple-shifts, to ultimately contain those fires.

"And so it goes — any time, any place, no matter the circumstance: from Washington DC, and San Diego, to Venezuela, the Congo, and Taiwan — the list just goes on.

"And that's why you see our Volunteer Ministers certified as part of the Los Angeles Community Emergency Response Team alongside the Sheriff's and Police Department.

"They're recognized as a partner by the Philippines National Red Cross, and, appointed an official Civil Defense Force by the Italian Federal Government.

"While beyond even all that — there's our Volunteer Minister Cavalcades constantly visiting new communities to offer their help with everything from marital difficulties, to tutoring for children, to providing a willing ear for the lonely, and all else to help with the myriad of life's problems.

"And it's all with no desire or wish for anything in return — other than the satisfaction of an indiscriminate act of kindness and compassion.

"That's how, and why, just since 9/11, our Ministers brought personal aid, one-on-one, to over 1.7-million people.

"So when it comes to helping those in most desperate need, we not only know we can help, we are doing something about it."

Who is David Miscavige? - A Biography
Find out more about the Scientology Volunteer Ministers