The worldwide network of Church of Scientology organizations consists of numerous entities and corporations, located in the United States as well as in other countries. All these organizations are interrelated and connected through an internal hierarchy called the "Command Channels of Scientology". At the top are Religious Technology Center, Church of Spiritual Technology, and Church of Scientology International, who own and license the Scientology trademarks and service marks to the other organizations within the network. These management organizations are staffed solely by Sea Org personnel.
Within the upper Church management echelon are several corporations with specific functions of publication, distribution, administration, and finances. Examples are the Scientology-owned publishing house Bridge Publications, and World Institute of Scientology Enterprises which promotes and sells Scientology "secular" services to businesses and entrepreneurs.
Below the Scientology management levels are Scientology service organizations ("Churches"), which deliver Scientology services to its members, and so-called secular organizations which seek to introduce L. Ron Hubbard's "Scientology Technology" into various sectors of society such as Citizens Commission on Human Rights, an organization that seeks to abolish any form of psychiatry. Below these levels are volunteer organizations run by Scientologists such as local chapters of The Way to Happiness campaign, and Clear Expansion Committees which have as their goal the clearing of their local communities and helping to establish a Scientology world.
In a response to questions by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with regard to its application for tax exempt status, the Church of Scientology International provided to the IRS a list of Scientology corporations and entities, categorized by their functions and activities.
Principal organizations
Church of Scientology (COS) — overarching term for the conglomerate of interrelated Scientology organizations; not a corporate entity itself. (See § The term "Church of Scientology" below) Religious Technology Center (RTC) — owns the religious marks and licenses them to other organizations Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) — beneficiary of most of L. Ron Hubbard's estate; backup owner of religious marks to RTC; operates programs to preserve the scriptures for the future After being awarded tax-exempt status, it received Hubbard's copyrights and patents from Mr. Hubbard's Trust. Hubbard's books that are published posthumously are copyrighted by CST under the fictitious business name "L. Ron Hubbard Library" Church of Scientology International (CSI) — the mother church; incorporated in 1981 † Church of Scientology of California (CSC) — was the senior management organization in the United States; replaced by the new corporation Church of Scientology International in order to hide assets during the case of Wollersheim v. Church of Scientology of California; terminated 2004
Management organizations
Sea Org (SO) — an unincorporated managerial and fraternal organization, with membership extending across a range of other branches and entities Commodore's Messenger Organization Watchdog Committee (WDC) — monitor the other management bodies Senior Executive Strata Flag Bureaux — middle management Celebrity Centre International (CC INT) — a service organization as well as the management organization for the Celebrity Centre network Scientology Missions International (SMI) — auxiliary to CSI; acts as mother church to missions International Hubbard Ecclesiastical League of Pastors (IHELP) — auxiliary to CSI; acts as mother church to field ministers International Management Executive Committee (IMEC) — responsible for the performance of the Church in its various activities and functions Continental Liaison Office (CLO) — liaison between CSI and lower Churches of Scientology † Executive Council Worldwide (ECWW) — UK predecessor to Flag Bureaux † Hubbard Association of Scientologists International (HASI) — formed 1954 as a "religious fellowship", acting as the Mother Church over all the new franchised "churches" of Scientology (formerly "secular" centers).
Trademark service organizations
Inspector General Network (IGN) — auxiliary to RTC for licensing the religious marks in certain countries IGN International AB Dianetics Centers International (DCI) Dianetics Foundation International (DFI) Hubbard Dianetics Foundation (HDF) — disseminating Dianetics; auxiliary to CSI WISE, Inc.
Financial trusts
Author's Family Trust Mr. Hubbard's Trust — receiver of book and patent royalties. It held Hubbard's copyrights and patents until the Church of Spiritual Technology was awarded tax-exempt status, at which point the properties were distributed to CST. Church of Scientology Religious Trust (CSRT) — Under International Sea Org Reserves Trust. From 1981 to 1985 held reserve funds for USA Scientology entities. In 1992 CSRT launched the Super Power Expansion Project to fund and construct the Flag Building. Scientology International Reserves Trust (SIRT) — since 1988 holds reserve funds for foreign Scientology entities United States Parishioners Trust (USPT) — held advance contributions for CSWUS and CSFSO services; ordered to be dissolved as part of the Scientology 1993 IRS closing agreement Scientology 1993 IRS closing agreement, section IV, paragraph E(5) Trust for Scientologists (TFS) — holds advance contributions to CSFSO from foreign individuals Flag Ship Trust (FST) — formed in 1985 as a donation repository for the purchase of the ship Freewinds; then used as a repository for Scientology central reserve accounts; owns the following entities: San Donato Properties, S .A. — owns the ship Transcorp Services S. A. — financed the purchase of the ship Majestic Cruise Lines — operates the ship FSS Organization — for paying taxes in the Netherlands Antilles MCL Services — provides shore support in Curacao † Church of Scientology Freewinds Relay Office, Inc. (CSFRO) — was the registrar (sales) for FSSO/Freewinds services; now run by FSSO † International Publications Trust (IPT) — was sole stockholder of Bridge and New Era † Publications Int Limited (PIL) — was an intermediary corporation between IPT and New Era; dissolved 1992 Building Management Services (BMS) — holder of real estate for CSI
Financial service organizations
SOR Services Ltd. — administers TFS affairs; wholly owned by SIRT Nesta Investments Ltd. FSO Oklahoma Investments Corporation (FSOOIC) — wholly owned subsidiary of CSFSO; CSFSO made investments through FSOOIC † Theta Management Ltd. (TML) — was part of the creation of the IAS. It was dissolved in 1993 and funds transferred to IASA.
Publishing houses and media
Bridge Publications Inc. (BPI, Bridge) — publishes books and print material for the USA and Canada; previously owned by IPT Galaxy Press — publishes fiction works of L. Ron Hubbard Author Services, Inc. (ASI) was established in 1981 as a wholly owned subsidiary of CST to supervise the use of Hubbard's literary properties In 1999 Galaxy Productions, Inc. (est. 1982) was merged into Author Services, Inc. Galaxy Press, LLC was established in 2002. In January 2015 Author Services, Inc. was merged into Galaxy Press, LLC. In February 2015 Galaxy Press, LLC was converted into Galaxy Press, Inc. Golden Era Productions (Gold) — produces audio recordings, motion pictures and E-meters New Era Publications International, ApS (New Era) — publishes books and print material for all non-USA/non-Canada locations; previously owned by IPT New Era subsidiaries include: New Era Publications UK, Ltd. (United Kingdom) New Era Publications Italia, s.r.l (Italy) New Era Publications Deutschland, GmbH (Germany) New Era Publications France SARL New Era Publications Japan, Inc. New Era Publications Espana S.A. (Spain) New Era Publications Australia Pty. Ltd. New Era Publications Group (Russia) Era Dinamica Editores s.A. de C. V. (Mexico) Importaciones y Exportaciones Nueva Civilizacion S.A. de C.V. (Mexico) Continental Publications (Pty) Ltd. (South Africa) New Era Publications Israel Scientology Publications Ltd.Foster Report, page 30 Scientology Media Productions and Scientology Network † Distribution Center Inc. — 1960s organization that sold books, booklets, and E-meters; associated with Founding Church of Scientology
Secular and social management entities
Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) — manages the social betterment programs Narconon International — drug rehabilitation program formed in 1970 Applied Scholastics (APS) — educational program Criminon International — criminal rehabilitation program The Way to Happiness Foundation International (TWTH) — public morality program Social Betterment Properties International (SBPI) — real estate management corporation for ABLE Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) — dedicated to eradicating psychiatry National Commission on Law Enforcement and Social Justice (NCLE) — exposing abuses of human rights in law enforcement and other government agencies Foundation for Religious Freedom — safeguarding religious freedom (see also New Cult Awareness Network) World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE) — membership organization for Scientology businesspeople and professionals Charter committees — subset of WISE; locally deals with civil disputes amongst Scientologists Hubbard College of Administration (HCA) — teaches Hubbard's administration techniques † Scientology Defense Fund Trust (SDFT) — was for defending Scientologists; dormant † Social Coordination Bureau of the Guardian's Office (SoCo) — predecessor to ABLE
Service organizations
Church of Scientology Flag Service Organization (CSFSO, FSO) — ministers the highest levels of auditor training through Class XII and auditing through New OT VII Church of Scientology Flag Ship Service Organization (CSFSSO, FSSO) — ministers the highest level of Scientology auditing, New OT VIII Church of Scientology Western United States (CSWUS, COSWUS) — as of 1993 CSWUS comprised 6 organizations: ASHO, AOLA, Continental Liaison Office West U.S. (CLO WUS), Commodore's Messenger Organization Pacific (CMO PAC), Pacific Base Crew (PBC), and Church of Scientology of San Diego. Saint Hill organizations (SH) — offer the training called the Saint Hill Special Briefing Course American Saint Hill Organization (ASHO) — Los Angeles, California (part of CSWUS) Advanced organizations (AO) — offer advanced auditing Advanced Organization of Los Angeles (AOLA) — Los Angeles, California (part of CSWUS) Combination Advanced and Saint Hill: Church of Scientology Religious Education College, Inc. (COSRECI) — in UK Church of Scientology Advanced organization Saint Hill Europe and Africa (AOSHEU) — in Denmark Church of Scientology, Inc. — in Australia † Hubbard Association of Scientologists (HAS) — formed 1952 as a secular training facility, book publisher, and seller of e-meters
Membership organizations
International Association of Scientologists (IAS) — unincorporated religious membership association International Association of Scientologists Administrations, N.V. (IASA) Membership Services Administrations (UK) Ltd. (MSA) US IAS Members' Trust
The term "Church of Scientology"
The "Church of Scientology" (frequently abbreviated as "the Church") is a term commonly used as an overarching label for the conglomerate of interrelated Scientology corporations. According to the Church of Scientology International in a response to the IRS in 1991:
Though there are many corporations with names beginning with "Church of Scientology", there is no corporate entity named "Church of Scientology". In the 1950s, there were two short-lived organizations by that name: