Primary Job Title Chairman of the Board Primary Organization Religious Technology Center
Location United States, North America Gender Male
Website www.davidmiscavige.org/ Facebook View on Facebook
David Miscavige is the ecclesiastical leader of Scientology, the modern religion developed by L. Ron Hubbard. As current Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center (RTC), Mr. Miscavige oversees the standards of L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics and Scientology and is responsible for ensuring their pure application in the real world.
Under Mr.
Miscavige’s leadership, Scientology has grown into a major world religion with more than 11,000 missions, churches and affiliated groups in 167 countries. Among the many initiatives Mr. Miscavige has developed and supervised over the years are:
The development of the Scientology Dissemination and Distribution Center, which is responsible for the international dissemination of Scientology teachings and the furthering of its humanitarian mission The Volunteer Ministers Program, a 200,000-volunteer organization recognized as the world’s largest independent relief force The translation of the beginning books of Dianetics and Scientology into 50 languages and Mr. Hubbard’s basic books, lectures and congresses into 16 languages The establishment and expansion of two digital publishing houses capable of producing more than 1 million books and digital media copies each week The recognition of Scientology as an official religion in several countries, including the United States The expansion of Scientology’s digital and broadcast media presence, including several global “briefing” broadcasts for Scientologists involved in strategic church programs An effort to upgrade select churches to a new standard, known as Ideal Scientology Churches, which are capable of delivering all Scientology services
David Miscavige was born in Pennsylvania in 1960 and raised in suburban Philadelphia. He first encountered Scientology in a Dianetics spiritual counseling session that resolved persistent childhood asthma symptoms, allowing him to live a more comfortable and fulfilling life.
When Mr. Miscavige was 12 years old, his family briefly relocated to the United Kingdom, where Mr. Miscavige studied at Scientology’s U.K. headquarters. He soon became an accomplished spiritual counselor, or auditor, of Scientology, a practice he continued after his family returned to the United States.
At 16, Mr. Miscavige relocated to Clearwater, Florida, where the Church of Scientology had recently established its spiritual headquarters, to join the religion’s Sea Organization. Within a year, he was among a handful of individuals personally selected by L. Ron Hubbard at a Scientology production facility in California. By age 17, he was the organization’s Director of Photography, with responsibility for producing training videos for Scientology parishioners.
Mr. Miscavige quickly ascended through the ranks of the church. He was promoted to Action Chief at age 18, gaining supervisory responsibility for key Scientology projects around the world, and his relationship with Mr. Hubbard deepened. In the early 1980s, he was credited with a successful Church reorganization that positioned Scientology for a period of rapid international expansion and parishioner growth. As a show of trust in Mr. Miscavige’s capabilities, Mr. Hubbard appointed him to the board of Religious Technology Center, the entity charged with holding Scientology’s trademarks and preserving, protecting and maintaining the religion consistent with Mr. Hubbard’s intent and vision.
Mr. Miscavige became Chairman of the Board Religious Technology Center upon Mr. Hubbard’s passing in 1986. In 1993, he secured official tax-exempt recognition by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service for the Church of Scientology International, affiliated church organizations, and U.S. churches and missions.
