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How the Church of Scientology is Organized
The organizational structure of the Church of Scientology is both convoluted and complex. It's a hodge-podge conglomeration of small companies, including both non-profit and for-profit entities. Unfortunately, many of these smaller organizations are less than straight-forward with the public regarding their affiliation with the Church of Scientology. Indeed, some are even quick to deny any affiliation whatsoever, regardless of overwhelming evidence that clearly indicates that many of these front groups are completely and utterly controlled by David Miscavige and the hierarchy of Scientology.
Because this is such a confounded mess of a myriad of organizations, I will not go into all of the various front groups in this segment. If you want to read more about that, you can find out about it in the False Front Groups (frontgroups.html) section. As for this segment, I'll attempt to summarize the basic structure of the main arms of the organization.
The Church of Scientology International
A 501(c)3 non-profit organization (meaning they're tax exempt), is considered the "mother church" of Scientology. According to the official website of the Church of Scientology, "CSI provides overall direction, planning, and guidance for churches, missions, field auditors and volunteer ministers which comprise the Scientology hierarchy it spans, and ensures that various organizations are working effectively together. [...] CSI broadly plans and coordinates Scientology expansion. This planning is then carried out by the individual networks of organizations which comprise ecclesiastical management at the continental echelon. Through CSI's ecclesiastical management activities, Scientology churches receive guidance in applying the scriptures both technially and administratively. [...] In addition to guiding the growing Scientology hierarchy, CSI sees to the publication of Scientology scripture, both written and audiovisual form, including some three thousand of Mr. Hubbard's tape-recorded lectures."
Wikipedia entry for CSI
The Religious Technology Center
Another 501(c)3 non-profit organization that controls all the intellectual properties belonging to the Church of Scientology. David Miscavige is the chairman of the board of this organization and, thus, he is in control of the entirety of the organization from that platform. Yet despite this title being Miscavige's claim to authority over the church, the RTC also claims that it does not directly manage the Church of Scientology - awfully confusing, right? According to the RTC website, "RTC stands apart as an external body which protects the Scientology religion and acts as the final arbiter of orthodoxy," and its stated purpose is, "to protect the public from misapplication of the technology and to see that the religious technologies of Dianetics and Scientology remain in proper hands and are properly ministered."
Although the RTC controls the use of the all the intellectual properties belonging to the Church of Scientology, it doesn't actually own any of the copyrights. It does own the trademarks and service marks of Scientology, but the copyrights and licenses themselves belong to the Church of Spiritual Technology.
Wikipedia entry for RTC
The Church of Spiritual Technology
Yet another 501(c)3 non-profit, the Church of Spiritual Technology was incorporated in 1982. This non-profit organization owns all the copyrights of the estate of L. Ron Hubbard. The CST is doing business as the L. Ron Hubbard Library. The CST is unusual in that is has no members or clergy, which is allowed under California law. This church gets its income from royalty fees paid to it by licensing of the copyrighted materials of Dianetics and Scientology to Scientology-connected organizations approved by the Religious Technology Center, and from its wholly owned for-profit subsidiary of Author Services, inc, which publishes and promotes Hubbard's fiction works. I'm not sure exactly how a non-profit and have a for-profit subsidiary, but I'd certainly like to find out.
Wikipedia entry for CSI
Golden Era Productions
Originally known as 'Source Productions', Golden Era is an organization operated by the Church of Scientology and staffed entirely by Sea Org staff. On the Church of Scientology International website, it states, "A division within CSI, Golden Era Productions, is responsible for producing... recordings as well as E-Meters, religious training films, slide shows and videos of Scientology. It supports the religion worldwide by publishing informational brochures and posters, and parishioner magazines in many languages. Golden Era also compiles, designs and translates new books and other religious materials based on Mr. Hubbard's researches and writings into more than 60 languages."
Golden Era is located on the 500-acre Scientology estate in Gilman Hot Springs near Heme, California, only a few hours from downtown Los Angeles. This compound is also said to be the true headquarters of the church, as well as the home of some church officials, including David Miscavige. The facility has numerous full-size sound stages and their computer facility includes an uninterruptable power supply that fills a small building.
Wikipedia entry for Golden Era
There's a seemingly infinite supply of other organizations which I could list here, but for the sake of brevity, I will end here. To learn more about other various front groups associated with Scientology, be sure to visit our False Front Groups section.
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