St. Paul, Minnesota -- The Church of Scientology is often a lightning rod for controversy, but the religion known for its congregation of celebrities just opened up a new center in St. Paul and gave an exclusive tour to FOX 9 News.
Founded by L. Ron Hubbard in the early 1950s, the church has had a presence in the Twin Cities since 1962. Now, there are more than 10,000 members in Minnesota and surrounding states, and no matter what has been said about the religion -- its new house in St. Paul is a work of modern art.
"We call them scientologists -- parishioners," said Erin Banks, a scientologist. When you're here taking a course, you're certainly a student -- but you don't have to be a scientologist to come."
The group raised more than $10 million to renovate the old science museum into what they call an "ideal org," a state-of-the-art center for personal development.
The church is 82,000 square feet, and is one of only 25 ideal orgs in the world. Of those, it is one of only a few that offers the complete range of scientology services, including what they call personal-efficiency seminars.
"We hope that they'll come in and find answers to the problems in their life," said Executive Director Mary Gaiman.
It's also the only one that features a chapel that was once an IMAX theater. Inside the facility, everything from the displays and artwork to the furniture is made in-house.
"Everyone is welcome to come in and ask questions," said Banks. "They can stay for 20 minutes or 2 hours."
Read more: EXCLUSIVE: St. Paul Scientology Church Gives Tour http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/st-paul-scientology-church-gives-exclusive-tour-oct-24-2011#ixzz1bnkMlcBs
