Four key Scientologists

Ben Shaw, 53, is the church’s lead spokesman in Clearwater. The son of a career Army officer, Shaw graduated from high school in India, where he played in a rock band and studied Indian religions. After reading Dianetics while working on a shrimp boat in Key West in 1971, he joined the church staff. He became a minister in 1978 and has held church positions throughout Europe and in Miami, Boston and Los Angeles. He has directed external affairs in Clearwater since 1996. His wife, Mary Shaw, is the president of the church’s Flag Service Organization.

Bennetta Slaughter, 48, was among the first Scientologists to win acceptance among Clearwater civic leaders. Soon after she and her husband, David, moved their marketing and publications firm, AMC Publishing, from Dallas to Clearwater in 1994, Ms. Slaughter became active in civic and social groups. The inroads she made at the Chamber of Commerce and the Jazz Holiday opened doors for other Scientologists. Slaughter now splits time between Clearwater and St. Louis, where she is chief executive of Applied Scholastics International, a learning program that uses teaching methods espoused by L. Ron Hubbard.

Mary Story, 54, a native of New Zealand, is perhaps the most recognized church staffer in Clearwater. A board member of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Clearwater, she also serves on the city’s Main Street Design and Promotions Committee, the Homeless Task Force, and the Economic Development Task Force for the Clearwater Arts Foundation.

Elias Jafif, 50, is a private-sector Scientologist who heads an investment group planning a high-rise residential and retail project on 3 acres of prime downtown property purchased last year. Jafif, a native of Mexico, now has homes in Clearwater and Mexico City. A developer for 25 years, he and his partners have built numerous residential, hotel and retail projects in Mexico.

Read Another Article

Mystery of Milan’s ‘devil worshippers’
Kremlin sued for return of churches

Related News Articles Topic(s): Scientology Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Scientology Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog