Church of Scientology Nashville Welcomes Community

 The Church of Scientology is celebrating its 37th year in Nashville, TN this month, and is opening its doors to the community.  

The Nashville Church of Scientology is celebrating its 37th anniversary this April, and Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church, is welcoming the community to events all year long. 

Prior to COVID-19, the church regularly welcomed the community to events on a variety of topics from drug education prevention to weekly writer’s nights for the artistic community. Now with protocols in place to stop the spread of illness, events are regularly happening again in the historic Fall School building on 8th Avenue South. 

Built in 1898 in a similar style to the legendary Ryman Auditorium, the 36,000-square-foot Fall School building is a historic landmark. It served as a public school until 1970 and in 2007 the Church purchased the building and meticulously restored it, preserving its original features, such as:

·      Its distinctive dark red brick exterior and arched windows,

·      Two stained-glass pocket doors that were discovered in the renovation process. They had been concealed behind the walls for nearly a century,

·      Original hardwood floors, doors and stairwells,

·      Eight solid wood pillars capped with iron,

·      The central three-story atrium that these pillars support.

“This church isn’t just our home in Nashville,” Fesler said, “it is a building for the community, and it is a Nashville institution.”

On a global scale, the Church of Scientology has enjoyed greater expansion during the past two decades than in the previous 50 years combined. All the while the Church’s ever-growing humanitarian programs in the fields of drug education, human rights, morals education and disaster relief have positively impacted hundreds of millions of lives. 

On a humanitarian mission, the Nashville Church has participated in numerous human rights awareness events and helped create such events as Human Rights Day and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and convocation.  Church members, volunteering in the area of drug education, have delivered more than 230 seminars in Tennessee and have distributed more than 60,000 booklets. 

“Scientology is an active religion, where one seeks to know life and help people," says Fesler, "and we have the tools to accomplish that. We don’t ask our members to believe, we want them to act.” 

Scientology was founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1952. The word “Scientology” means “study of wisdom or truth.” To learn more about the Church of Scientology, its programs and courses, visit www.scientology.org or watch the Scientology Network at scientology.tv.  

Church of Scientology Celebrates 37 Years in Nashville

 The Church of Scientology is preparing to celebrate its 37th year in Nashville, TN.  

The Nashville Church of Scientology will celebrate its 37th anniversary this April. Rev. Brian Fesler, pastor of the Church, says, “We’ve been in Nashville for 37 years, and thirteen in the historic Fall School building. We are celebrating our progress as well as the spirit of Nashville.” 

On a global scale, the Church of Scientology has enjoyed greater expansion during the past two decades than in the previous 50 years combined. All the while the Church’s ever-growing humanitarian programs in the fields of drug education, human rights, morals education and disaster relief have positively impacted hundreds of millions of lives. 

In Nashville, the Church has seen thousands of people entering its doors for the first time over the last thirteen years. On a humanitarian mission, the Church has participated in numerous human rights awareness events and helped create such events as Human Rights Day and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and convocation.  Church members, volunteering in the area of drug education, have delivered more than 230 seminars in Tennessee and have distributed more than 60,000 booklets. 

“Scientology is an active religion, where one seeks to know life and help people," says Fesler, "and we have the tools to accomplish that. We don’t ask our members to believe, we want them to act.” 

Scientology was founded by L. Ron Hubbard in 1952. The word “Scientology” means “study of wisdom or truth.” To learn more about the Church of Scientology, its programs and courses, visit www.scientology.org or watch the Scientology Network at scientology.tv.  

The Way to Happiness Association Celebrates Earth Day 2022 Virtually

 The Way to Happiness Association is observing Earth Day with special virtual messages. 

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. 

According to EarthDay.org, “That day gave a voice to an emerging public consciousness about the state of our planet — In the decades leading up to the first Earth Day, Americans were consuming vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of the consequences from either the law or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Until this point, mainstream America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health… Earth Day 1970 would come to provide a voice to this emerging environmental consciousness, and putting environmental concerns on the front page.” 

The Way to Happiness Association of Tennessee which was formed around the concepts presented in the book of the same name by humanitarian and author L. Ron Hubbard, is celebrating Earth Day this year with virtual messages highlighting care for the planet. 

The Way to Happiness is filled with twenty-one precepts based on the fact that one’s survival depends on the survival of others. One of these precepts is “Safeguard and Improve Your Environment,” and showcases the importance of taking care of the planet. It reads: “There are many things one can do to help take care of the planet. They begin with the idea that one should. They progress with suggesting to others they should. Man has gotten up to the potential of destroying the planet. He must be pushed on up to the capability and actions of saving it. It is, after all, what we’re standing on.” 

The Way to Happiness Association wants to bring people together who care, so they can connect and do bigger things. The messages shared online from The Way to Happiness Association can be found here: facebook.com/twthtn. For more information on The Way to Happiness Association, visit twthtn.org. 

Citizens Commission on Human Rights Champions Patients’ Rights

 The Citizens Commission on Human Rights of Nashville (CCHR Nashville) has been hard at work to spread information on dangerous practices in the field of mental health and help those who have been abused. 

The Citizens Commission on Human Rights Nashville Chapter (CCHR Nashville) works to help victims of psychiatric abuse by documenting cases. On the CCHRNashville.org website, the question is posed: “Victim of Brain Stimulation?” followed by the text, “Do you know someone who has been damaged by experimental psychiatric treatments including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), deep brain stimulation (DBS) or any other electric shock or magnetic wave to the brain? Report abuse.” 

CCHR has long been an advocate for human rights, especially patients’ rights in the field of mental health. Per the international CCHR website, cchr.org, “CCHR has long fought to restore basic inalienable human rights to the field of mental health, including, but not limited to, full informed consent regarding the medical legitimacy of psychiatric diagnosis, the risks of psychiatric treatments, the right to all available medical alternatives and the right to refuse any treatment considered harmful.”

CCHR is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious mental health watchdog. Its mission is to eradicate abuses committed under the guise of mental health and enact patient and consumer protections. CCHR receives reports about abuses in the field of mental health and is especially interested in situations where persons experienced abuse or damage due to a false diagnosis or unwanted and harmful psychiatric treatments, such as psychiatric drugs, electroshock (ECT) and electronic or magnetic brain stimulation (TMS). 

CCHR is often able to assist with filing complaints, and can work with a person’s attorney to further investigate the case. To contact CCHR Nashville for more information, visit cchrnashville.org.  

Nashville Religion Communicators Excited for Virtual National Convention 2022

 

The Nashville Chapter of the Religion Communicators Council (RCC) meets monthly to talk about topics of interest and hear from professionals in religious communications.  

The Religion Communicators Council (RCC) is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, marketing and public relations. The Nashville Chapter meets monthly to learn about other faith traditions, learn from fellow communicators and gain professional development opportunities. 

Each year, the various RCC chapters from around the country join together for a national convention. This year, it will be held virtually from May 10-13, and is shaping up to be an incredible event, showcasing knowledgeable PR and marketing professionals from many different religious backgrounds. 

The convention theme this year is “Bridging Cultural Divides: Better Ways to Tell Our Stories,” and will again be a joint convention of the Associated Church Press, Canadian Christian Communicators Association, and the Religion Communicators Council. 

Nearly 3 dozen presenters are part of the convention with topics such as “MLK 50: Justice Through Journalism,” “Solutions Journalism: Covering Complex Topics without Creating Further Divides,” and “How to Reach New Audiences with Email Newsletters.” 

Organizing committee members include Greg Brekke, Executive Director of the Associated Church Press; John Longhurst, Chair of the Anabaptist Communicators; Catherine Pate, President of the Canadian Christian Communicators Association; and the Nashville Chapter RCC President Rev. Brian Fesler who also pastors the Church of Scientology Nashville. 

The RCC has members from every faith group and walk of life including Baha’is, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Scientologists, Sikhs, Hindus and more. The RCC, founded in 1929, is an association of communications professionals who work for and with a diverse group of faith-based organizations in the areas of communications, public relations, advertising and development. 

The RCC provides opportunities for communicators to learn from each other. Together, RCC members promote excellence in the communication of faith and values in the public arena. For more information about the Religion Communicators Council, visit religioncommunicators.org/nashville-chapter. For more information about the convention, visit religioncommunicators.org/convention.