In 2023, Can the Scientology Tools for Life Help Resolve Religious Conflict?

A minister from the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa is bringing religious leaders together in the name of unity and peace.

When Rev. Shadrack Lekoana of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa studied the Scientology Tools for Life courses, they rehabilitated his purpose and empowered him to accomplish it. Lekoana wants to end conflicts and competition among religions, which only distract religious leaders from their true vocation.

“It is a tragedy to see what society has become under our neglect,” he told 100 religious leaders of a broad range of faiths attending his seminar at Kyalami Castle in Gauteng, South Africa—African headquarters for the Scientology religion and its humanitarian outreach programs. 

“Most of the time we are too focused on membership and proving who is right and who is wrong,” said Lekoana. “So much so that we have neglected our duties in the community. Religious unity can be more than a dream. We are all gathered here to be empowered with skills to help our communities. So let us learn with the purpose of helping our people.”

What followed was a day of training on skills including conflict management, communication, how to tackle drug abuse, and tools to enable students to apply what they learn and translate their education into success in life. These skills and many more are included in the Scientology Volunteer Ministers Tools for Life Skills Development Program.

Mr. Ditle, an elder and member of the Church Council of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa was amazed at what he learned in a single day. “Our churches today lack strong leaders. And for a long time, I have asked myself why this is,” he said. “Today I got my answer. They sometimes lack the practical knowledge to handle social situations so they don’t know what to do. But they do have the passion to help.”  

No less enthusiastic was Bishop Mnisi, National Deputy Secretary of the South African Christian Ministers Council. 

“The Tools for Life have the potential to change my community,” he said. Apart from being active in the church, Mnisi also runs a nonprofit that works with local youth and he is eager to use these new skills in his outreach activities.

Mnisi spoke of the many problems today’s youth face. “We all know them: Unemployment, drugs, crime, hopelessness.” He has been discouraged by the lack of effective programs. But Scientology Tools for Life training unlocked the riddle of why there is so little improvement in social conditions despite the commitment of so many to improve young people’s lives. “Nobody can handle the underlying cause of all these problems: the mindset,” he said. And it was with great relief that he realized, “This program can.”

“We may be from different faiths,” said Sandile Hlayisi, chair of the South African Scientology Volunteer Ministers, who conducted these training sessions. “But we all are affected by the same societal issues. It is vital that we focus on how we are going to work together to assist in solving the high crime rate, gender-based violence, substance abuse, and many other problems that have plagued our country for far too long now. We can’t waste time arguing with each other. We have much work to do.”    

To date, Rev. Lekoana has brought together more than 3,000 leaders from different churches and denominations throughout South Africa to train them on the Scientology Tools for Life Skills Development Program.

“It is such an honor to see all of us getting along,” he said at the end of the day’s training. “Working together is far more beneficial than working against each other. Now it is time to equip ourselves with knowledge so we can bring life back into our communities.”

The Scientology Tools for Life were developed for the training of Scientology Volunteer Ministers, a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by humanitarian and Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. It constitutes one of the world’s largest independent relief forces.

Mr. Hubbard described the Volunteer Minister as “a person who helps his fellow man on a volunteer basis by restoring purpose, truth and spiritual values to the lives of others.” Their creed: “A Volunteer Minister does not shut his eyes to the pain, evil and injustice of existence. Rather, he is trained to handle these things and help others achieve relief from them and new personal strength as well.”

Their motto is, no matter the circumstances, “Something can be done about it.”

Castle Kyalami serves as a home for the community and a nexus for all who share the goal of bettering the lives of individuals and strengthening communities across the region, nation, and all of Africa. Mr. David Miscavige, ecclesiastical leader of the Scientology religion, dedicated Kyalami Castle on New Year’s Day 2019, reaffirming the commitment of Mr. Hubbard that “from Southern Africa will spring the next great civilization on this planet.”

For more information on the Scientology Volunteer Ministers of South Africa, visit the Scientology website.