David Miscavige facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Miscavige
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Miscavige in 2019
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| Born | April 30, 1960 Bristol, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Years active |
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| Organization | Church of Scientology |
| Spouse(s) |
Shelly Barnett
(m. 1982) |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Jenna Miscavige Hill (niece) |
David Miscavige was born on April 30, 1960. He is the current leader of the Church of Scientology. His main title is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC). This organization manages the important names and writings of Dianetics and Scientology. People in Scientology also call him "DM," "COB," or "Captain of the Sea Org."
Miscavige started working closely with Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, when he was a teenager. He joined the Sea Org, which is a special group that helps manage Scientology. Later, he became part of the Commodore's Messenger Organization, a smaller group that delivered Hubbard's messages. He became a leader in the early 1980s and was named "Chairman of the Board" of RTC in 1987, after Hubbard passed away.
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Early Life and Scientology
David Miscavige was born in Bristol Township, Pennsylvania, on April 30, 1960. His parents, Ronald Thomas Miscavige Sr. and Loretta Gidaro, were Catholics. David and his twin sister, Denise, grew up mostly in Willingboro Township, New Jersey. As a child, David enjoyed playing baseball and football. He also had asthma and bad allergies.
His father became interested in Scientology and took David to see a Scientologist. Both David and his father said that a 45-minute Dianetics session helped David with his health problems. In 1971, Miscavige's family joined the Church of Scientology. They later moved to the organization's main center, Saint Hill Manor, in England. At Saint Hill, David learned to be an auditor, which is someone who helps others in Scientology. He was known as a "12-year-old prodigy" and became the youngest professional auditor. After a few years, his family moved back to Philadelphia.
Starting His Career in Scientology
In 1976, when he was 16, David Miscavige left high school. With his father's permission, he moved to Clearwater, Florida, to join the Sea Org. The Sea Org is a Scientology group started by founder L. Ron Hubbard in 1968. Some of Miscavige's first jobs in the Sea Org included sending messages, taking care of the grounds, working in food service, and taking photos for Scientology books.
Miscavige was chosen for a special group of young Scientologists within the Sea Org called the Commodore's Messenger Organization (CMO). Hubbard created this group to help with his personal tasks and deliver important messages to Scientology leaders. As these young people grew up, their influence in the Sea Org became stronger. By 1977, Miscavige was working directly with Hubbard in La Quinta, California. He was a cameraman for Scientology training films.
Becoming a Leader
In the late 1970s, L. Ron Hubbard started to keep more distance from the daily management of the Church. By 1980, Miscavige became the main person connecting Hubbard with other church leaders. He secretly passed on Hubbard's instructions. By the end of 1981, Miscavige was in charge of important groups within Scientology. He also led Author Services Inc., a company set up in 1981 to manage Hubbard's writings and money.
Changes to the Organization
In 1982, Miscavige helped create a new way to organize Scientology. He set up the Religious Technology Center (RTC). This group is in charge of licensing Scientology's special materials, like its trademarks and copyrights. David Miscavige has been the Chairman of the Board of the RTC since it began.
Around this time, Hubbard's son had some questions about his father's money. Hubbard wrote a statement saying that his business was well-managed by Author Services Inc., which Miscavige also led. Hubbard called Miscavige a "trusted associate" and "good friend." A judge agreed that Hubbard's statement was real, and the case was closed in 1983.
In October 1982, Miscavige made new rules for how Scientology Missions could use Scientology materials. Over the next two years, Miscavige and his team made many changes to the leadership of Scientology.
Leading the Church of Scientology
When L. Ron Hubbard passed away in 1986, David Miscavige announced it to Scientologists. Miscavige then became the head of the Church of Scientology. Within the Sea Org, he holds the title of "Captain of the Sea Organization" and is its highest-ranking member.
Working with the IRS
In 1991, Miscavige met with officials from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the U.S. For over 20 years, the IRS had not recognized Scientology as a non-profit charity. After two years of talks, the IRS recognized the Church of Scientology as a non-profit organization in 1992. This meant the Church and its related groups would not have to pay certain taxes. Also, people who donated to Scientology could get tax deductions.
Scientology leaders and the IRS later said that this decision came after a two-year review of many documents. To share the news, Miscavige spoke to about 10,000 Scientology members in Los Angeles. He gave a long speech and announced, "The war is over!" The crowd cheered for more than ten minutes.
New Church Projects
According to Scientology, Miscavige started a big project to release new and corrected versions of Hubbard's books and restore Hubbard's recorded lectures. Many of these works were also translated into other languages.
Another project Miscavige began in 2003 was to build new or updated Scientology locations. These are called "Ideal Orgs." The goal is to have one in every major city around the world. Since then, more than 70 new or remodeled locations have opened. These include places in Washington, D.C., London, Berlin, Mexico City, Rome, and Tel Aviv. Until recently, Miscavige mainly worked from Scientology's Gold Base near Hemet, California.
The Flag Building
One of the biggest projects Miscavige has worked on is the Flag Building. It is also known as the "Super Power Building." This building is seen as the spiritual center of Scientology. It is the largest Scientology property in Clearwater, Florida. The building is very big, about 377,000 square feet. It has special equipment designed to help high-level Scientologists with their training.
The building was supposed to be finished in 2003. However, it took ten more years to complete because of delays and changes to the design. Miscavige officially opened the Flag Building on November 17, 2013. He reportedly moved to live at the Flag Building in the late 2010s.
Personal Life
David Miscavige is married to Michele Diane "Shelly" Miscavige. She is also a member of the Sea Org.
Images for kids
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Miscavige in 2019
See also
In Spanish: David Miscavige para niños
