How is the Church of Scientology structured?
This is a pretty good description of how the Church operates:
The Church of Scientology is formed into an ecclesiastical structure which unifies and aligns a multitude of diverse religious activities, including not only ministering Scientology religious services and practices, but proselytization, ecclesiastical management, relay of communication, production of dissemination materials and many other functions. Thus the Scientology religious community is united both by common beliefs and practices and an organizational form uniquely suited to its religious mission.
At the lower levels of this hierarchy are individual field ministers, Scientology religious groups and Church missions involved in ministering beginning auditing and training. At the upper level are larger Church organizations that minister the advanced levels of auditing and training religious services.
Spanning all Churches is a system of international ecclesiastical management. From Church of Scientology International through a series of Continental Liaison Offices responsible for geographic zones, this management structure supports, coordinates and works to ensure that the spiritual philosophy and technologies of Dianetics and Scientology are available to anyone who wishes to receive them and that Scientology services are applied precisely as L. Ron Hubbard set forth.
Because Scientology scripture requires that its religious practices be ministered in an orthodox manner, the hierarchical structure helps ensure individual Churches receive the ecclesiastical support and guidance needed to do this. All Scientologists are thus assured of an orthodox religious observance in every Church around the world.
Each individual Church of Scientology is separately incorporated and is governed by its own board of directors. The officers and directors also form the ecclesiastical management of the Church and are fully responsible for providing services to their parishioners and their surrounding communities.
