Scientology Welcomes 2016 Following Year of Unprecedented Expansion and Advance

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- As the old year draws to its close and a new one begins, it is time to celebrate successes and resolve to look ahead to the possibilities of another year. So it was as Scientologists gathered to express vivid appreciation for a triumphant year of accomplishment, recognizing record expansion and worldwide humanitarian achievement.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160103/318775

Parishioners and their guests filled the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles to pay homage to 2015's unsurpassed growth and the momentum that has set the stage for 2016—and beyond.

Mr. David Miscavige, Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center, summed up the exuberant mood in addressing those gathered for the annual New Year's fete.

"We've arrived at the close of an all but mythic year," Mr. Miscavige began. "Not only a year equivalent to a thousand years of triumph, not only a year surpassing any since the first tick of time, but a year to remind us that time is quite easily compressed, especially when you're working at warp speed. It was a year of upward mobility that takes us to the front porch of infinity."

Mr. Miscavige embarked from there on a vibrant synopsis of an epic 2015, one crowned by the historic announcement of a new Golden Age for the higher states of spiritual awareness in Scientology, the OT (Operating Thetan) levels. As a result, Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard's original Advanced Course filmed lectures have been fully restored and advanced materials extending to the upper reaches of the Scientology Bridge to Total Freedom are now available in 17 languages. Subsequent to that release, Scientologists are advancing up each succeeding step at five times earlier numbers, while boldly striding to the top of the Scientology Bridge.

Then there was the breathtaking number of new facilities opening their doors to the world in 2015, with more than 40 dedicated in the past 12 months alone, representing every level of Ideal Church of Scientology Organization (Orgs) and Church-supported humanitarian programs.

This epic season of expansion included:

The April 25 launch of a first Ideal Scientology Organization in Basel, Switzerland, at the crossroads of Switzerland, France and Germany.

The July 5 dedication of the majestic Ideal Church of Scientology of Bogota, Colombia.

Then one week later, on July 11, the opening of a Scientology Information Center at the Church's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida, along with six model facilities to make Church-supported humanitarian programs readily available to the Tampa Bay community.

The following week, the July 18 grand opening of the new Ideal Continental Liaison Office for the United Kingdom.

Just three weeks later, the August 8 launch of the Ideal Church of Scientology Tokyo in Shinjuku—the heart of the city.

The October 3 and October 10 openings of the Fountain and Golden Crest religious retreats, just steps from the Ideal Advanced Organization of Los Angeles.

And the October 18 dedication of the Ideal Saint Hill, site of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard's breakthrough discoveries in the 1960s that opened the upper levels of the Scientology Bridge to Total Freedom.

The year's extraordinary accomplishments also included the soaring wave of openings of Narconon drug rehabilitation centers, made possible by generous contributions from members of the International Association of Scientologists:

The September 5 launch of the Continental Narconon for Europe drug rehabilitation and training center on Denmark's idyllic Lake Arreso.

The inauguration of a Narconon drug rehab and training center for the United Kingdom also on September 5, on a country estate in Maynards Green, East Sussex, England.

The September 12 opening of the Continental Narconon of Latin America in Villa Victoria, Mexico, providing drug rehabilitation and training to specialists for Narconon centers throughout the 21 nations of Latin America.

And the dedication the following day, September 13, of a magnificent new hilltop Narconon center in Ojai, California, with drug and alcohol rehabilitation services for artists and leaders in society.

Mr. Miscavige next gave attendees at the New Year's event a series of snapshots of miracles produced through the application of technology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, outlining inspiring vignettes that painted dramatic portraits of personal, group and social advance.

Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE)—where secular and charitable programs utilize technologies expressly designed to address disasters afflicting society including drug abuse, illiteracy and crime. In Denver, Colorado, The Way to Happiness series of 21 precepts for leading a moral life spearheaded a zero percent recidivism rate among program graduates. Rampant illiteracy in the Czech Republic was turned completely around by L. Ron Hubbard's acclaimed Study Technology. And Narconon Suncoast, just minutes from downtown Clearwater, Florida, joined an expanding network of centers as a beacon of hope for the drug-addicted.

World Institute of Scientology Enterprises (WISE)—Members' success stories impeccably illuminated Mr. Hubbard's administrative fundamentals as well as their consistent capacity to maximize success in any area of human endeavor. These included the world's foremost banjo manufacturer's elevation of the instrument beyond its Southern roots to universal popularity. The year also spotlighted a motion-control pacesetter that revolutionized motion picture cinematography, with game-changing rigs that also extended its reach beyond cinema to sports telecasts and international events; and a Japanese consulting company that applied the technology to help 650 new businesses succeed in a market where startups traditionally fail.

International Hubbard Ecclesiastical League of Pastors (IHELP) and Scientology Missions International (SMI)—As a testament to the technology of life itself, three success stories in 2015 painted a majestic picture of the expansive scope of Scientology in uplifting human beings across every strata of society. They included Purification Rundown delivery in a dozen cities to reverse the disastrous effects of radiation and pollution across the Siberian steppes; tackling social decay in the streets of Guatemala City; and the opening of the first Ideal Scientology Mission of Spain in Valencia, blazing a trail to freedom for the people of that city.

A record number of Power Field Staff Members were also honored as the New Year's celebration unfolded. They hailed from 32 nations, where they are each responsible for helping people take more than 100 steps up the Scientology Bridge.

The jubilant crowd saw the New Year's celebration culminate with Mr. Miscavige introducing the world's largest Ideal Org which had its magnificent inaugural on October 31 in the cultural capital of Milan, Italy. At over 100,000 square feet on a 1.5-acre estate, the new Ideal Org is prominent in the extreme and caps a year for the Church of Scientology that was defined by spectacular growth, setting the stage for another awe-inspiring year of accomplishment.

SOURCE Church of Scientology