Fifty years have passed since the founding of the first Church of Scientology in 1954, and over those years the Church and its members have established themselves as important contributors in the cities of virtually every country in the world, including Europe. And while that expansion has been exemplary on an international scale — expressed by more than 3,700 Churches, missions and groups ministering to millions of parishioners in 156 countries and 50 languages — what is most important is the positive impact of our individual churches and members on the communities in which they live.

Scientologists have, over the past five decades, worked tirelessly to defend and uphold human rights and religious freedoms — not only to preserve their own rights, but to guarantee the rights and freedoms of every citizen. The freedoms of speech, choice, thought and belief are sacred, and their violation can always be found at the root of any conflict. Thus, when the founder of the Scientology religion, L. Ron Hubbard, wrote the following words, he was not merely articulating a vision for a peaceful future, he was also highlighting the sovereignty of thought over force: “Ideas, and not battles, mark the forward progress of mankind.”

We wanted to make this vision for the future a reality, particularly in Europe, a continent that has seen much suffering due to the violations of these freedoms. Consequently, we established the Church’s first European Human Rights Office in Brussels in 1990. From there, we launched an ever-widening campaign to make both governments and the citizenry aware of the basic freedoms that are the inalienable rights of every man. We then ensured that this movement soon proliferated throughout the entirety of Europe.

In addition to its strong stand for human rights, the Church has concentrated on forwarding its highly effective and proven social betterment programs in the areas of drug and criminal rehabilitation, education, and in resurrecting common-sense moral values. These programs have rapidly gained worldwide acclaim because they provide workable solutions for some of the worst ills troubling modern societies. Mr. Hubbard expressed the philosophic basis for the Church’s social work in these words: “A being is only as valuable as he can serve others.”

“Ideas, and not battles mark the forward progress of mankind.” — L. Ron Hubbard

To expand upon its commitment to preserving human rights and providing effective help for those in need, the Church has now taken the next logical step: It has established a new and larger facility for the expansion of these programs and, at the same time, to answer the frequent questions about Scientology — the Church of Scientology International’s European Office for Public Affairs and Human Rights.

Understandably, the continual growth of the Scientology religion has led to more and more questions from the public, officials and the media about its history, tenets, ecclesiastical organisation and worldwide activities. Besides fulfilling our desire to expand our human rights and social betterment programs, this new building will also help to satisfy the people’s thirst for more information about the Church and the Scientology religion.

It is ideally located on the well-known rue de la Loi in Brussels, easily accessible for visitors and within walking distance of the European Parliament and the European Commission.

The preservation of human rights and the effective resolution of social problems can only be accomplished through cooperative efforts with those who are truly concerned with the plight of those in need. Thus, our new quarters have been specifically selected to facilitate the development and coordination of those initiatives and programs that will truly benefit human rights and social betterment on a broad scale throughout the continent.

In recent years, the Church has gone to great lengths to make its beliefs, practices and activities known and understood by the general public and officials throughout Europe. Scientology books can be found in public libraries and in fine bookstores. The Church maintains state-of-the-art websites that provide detailed information about the many different aspects of Scientology and the life of its Founder, and are updated regularly with news of current activities and events concerning Scientology.

In this spirit, it is you — the visitor, the colleague — we had in mind when we created within this new Church building a comprehensive exhibition on our religion, the first such permanent presentation in Europe. By means of information panels, video screens and interactive displays, the exhibit explains what you always wanted to know about the Scientology religion, the churches of Scientology and their work in Europe and the world over. It also provides a wealth of information about L. Ron Hubbard and traces the path that he followed in the development of this vibrant new religion.

And as in all churches of Scientology anywhere in the world, you are always welcome.

Rev. Heber C. Jentzsch