Celebrating 30 Years of Service to Baton Rouge, Church of Scientology Dedicates New Louisiana Home

Launching a new era of spiritual freedom in the Bayou State with a stunning Church of Scientology Mission

July 8 was a red-letter day for Louisiana, as leaders in the state’s capital welcomed the Scientology Mission of Baton Rouge to its new, expanded home.

The hot Louisiana sun warmed attendees as hundreds gathered for the grand opening ceremony just blocks from the banks of the mighty Mississippi. Scientologists and their guests were joined by community leaders and dignitaries in dedicating the new facility.

Scientology Missions form the vanguard of the Scientology religion, providing the full array of basic and introductory Scientology services and Scientology auditing (spiritual counseling). Now joining the ranks of newly expanded Missions around the world, the Church of Scientology’s new home in Baton Rouge is designed to serve as a physical embodiment of Scientology technology, helping all to attain spiritual freedom.

Ms. Makesha Judson, Chief Service Officer for the Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, presented a commendation to the Mission on behalf of Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

Welcoming the Mission and speaking of how the work of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard has benefited their lives were Professor and Chair of Physics at Southern University, Dr. Diola Bagayoko; Louisiana NAACP President and member of the NAACP National Board, Rev. Dr. Ernest L. Johnson, Sr., Esq.; and entrepreneur and Nation of Islam Student Minister Brother Lawrence Muhammad.

Dr. Bagayoko, who has taught graduate-level courses in advanced mathematics and quantum physics, spoke of the value of education and how Study Technology, developed by L. Ron Hubbard, has contributed to his success with students.

“I have a profound belief in each individual’s ability to learn and to excel provided basic competent teaching and mentoring, which I believe go hand in hand.

“L. Ron Hubbard enabled us to provide this effective help by codifying the barriers to study so that anyone can learn and so they can understand. In this way, Study Technology gives the individual back his ability to learn which, in life, is everything. Because the ability to learn is the bedrock for knowledge. And knowledge, when applied with the help of these tools, will result in the betterment of humanity.”

Dr. Johnson became interested in the administrative tools developed by L. Ron Hubbard when he participated in a 1998 march for religious freedom organized by the Church of Scientology.

“I marveled at this display of proficiency and skill that appeared effortless from my perspective,” he said. “So as soon as the march was over, I had to know more.

“I was then introduced to L. Ron Hubbard’s organizational and management principles and immediately envisioned the successes that application of these techniques would bring. For with L. Ron Hubbard’s administrative technology, I knew I would achieve my goal of helping people to help themselves on an even broader scale.”

Brother Lawrence Muhammad’s introduction to Dianetics completely changed his outlook on life and his ability to help others.

“This is a rough and tough world that we live in. We get wounds that scar us on the inside as well as the outside. The external wounds can be healed with ointment and time. The internal wounds don’t heal this way. They don’t disappear, but rather, they accumulate until they rob you of the spirit of life. But this technology is an ointment that can help to heal the unseen wounds of humanity.”

And representing the more than 900 Scientology Volunteer Ministers who served in Baton Rouge and the surrounding region in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was actress, director and photographer Denice Duff. She spoke of her love for the city and its people and her experience working with victims in shelters. She and other Volunteer Ministers distributed food, blankets and clothing and they helped people get back on their feet by providing Scientology assists—techniques developed by L. Ron Hubbard that address the emotional and spiritual factors in stress and trauma.

The day’s celebration marked not only a two-fold expansion in the Mission’s space and facilities, but also its 30th anniversary in Baton Rouge. Visitors to the Baton Rouge Mission are welcomed to its Public Information Display, featuring multimedia presentations of the basic beliefs and practices of Dianetics and Scientology as well as the life and legacy of L. Ron Hubbard.

The all-new Church of Scientology Mission for Baton Rouge is equipped with every facility needed to provide the full array of introductory Scientology services. These include Life Improvement Courses through which anyone may find workable solutions to common challenges of everyday life, such as how to improve a marriage, successfully raise children, increase personal motivation, and set and achieve goals.

The new Mission also offers seminars on a wide range of topics, including personal efficiency. The Hubbard Dianetics Seminar is based on Mr. Hubbard’s watershed work Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, the bestselling book that reveals the source of one’s nightmares, unreasonable fears and irrational behavior, the reactive mind, and how to conquer it.

The Mission provides auditing as well as the Purification Program, which was developed by Mr. Hubbard to free individuals from the mental and spiritual damage caused by drugs and toxins.

The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has since expanded to more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members around the world.