Nashville’s Church of
Scientology saw a whirlwind of activity during 2016. Parishioners will gather
on New Year’s Eve to celebrate a year of accomplishments and look forward to
the coming months.
The Nashville Church of Scientology has much to celebrate as 2016
comes to a close. Scientologists will look back on the time spent on programs
aimed at drug reform, literacy, and improving morality across cultures, during
a special celebration on New Year’s Eve.
The Nashville Church began the year as an organizing partner with
other community leaders and pastors for the annual march and convocation for
MLK Day. Next, the Church hosted an event to commemorate International
Holocaust Remembrance Day while also revealing “the Men Behind Hitler.”
In the spring, the Church was happy to host a Survival Training
workshop geared toward understanding how to prepare for and act in times of
disaster with leading professionals on the subject; a Fitness Fair to help
educate the community how to be healthy, happy and drug-free; an educational
meeting on improving the environment; and a community gathering for
International Friendship Day which had 60 guests of diverse faiths, cultures,
and races all together overcoming stereotypes and other obstacles to
friendship.
The church hosted a forty member group from Historic Nashville
Inc., for a tour, as well as nearly thirty students from Middle Tennessee State
University.
During summer, the church held an anniversary celebration for
thirty-one years in Music City with a large-scale gala where community guests,
parishioners and friends were able to recognize members’ achievements and look
forward to the many years ahead. In September, the church held a forum on
domestic violence for the International Day of Peace on the theme: Know Your
Rights and Survive—Overcoming Domestic Violence, where local experts talked
about the problem and things people can do to help victims. Also for
International Day of Peace, Pastor of the Church, Rev. Brian Fesler,
participated in an interfaith service at Fisk University to promote peace and
dedicate a peace pole on Fisk campus.
Church members spent several months distributing copies of L. Ron
Hubbard’s booklet The Way to Happiness, working with people who have
been abused in the field of mental health, and promoting human rights messages
across Middle Tennessee.
In October, church members held a series of events for Red Ribbon
Week, a week meant to promote drug-free living. These events included booklet
distributions of the Truth About Drugs booklet, educational seminars and
one-on-one meetings to enlighten leaders on the materials.
In November, the Church hosted the annual Artlightenment art and
film festival, which this year was themed “America: It’s Cultures and
Influences.” In its eighth year, this was the most successful to date in terms
of the attendance and number of artists participating, both locally and
internationally. The festival included a film festival, fashion show as
well as having a plethora of fine art, painting and photography displays.
In December, the Church worked with local and state government
agencies and non-profit organizations to plan the Tennessee Celebration of
International Human Rights Day. During the celebration, human rights advocates
were awarded for their service to the community.
Church pastor Rev. Brian Fesler said, "2016 was an amazing
year. I’m extremely proud of the work our members are doing in and with the
community. We are very excited about 2017, and will be expanding our programs
exponentially in alignment with our mother Church’s international
approach." For more information about Scientology, visit
www.scientology-ccnashville.org.
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