The Church of Scientology’s official membership body, the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) wants to double the number of paying parishioners this year, a leaked document shows.
According to our inside source, executives from Scientology churches across the world were invited to a special conference during the annual IAS event that took place in East Grinstead, Sussex back in October. There, they were briefed on the targets for the following year, which include doubling the number of paying members and increasing those contributing with monthly donations.
New Scientologists are offered a free six month membership which gives them a small discount on courses and auditing at Churches of Scientology but after it expires, parishioners are asked to buy an annual or a lifetime membership. Our source tells us the annual membership currently costs $500 or a lifetime subscription can be purchased for a one-off donation of $5,000.
The document lists key goals for the IAS to achieve in 2026. Here they are:
- Double the IAS membership sign-ups in every Org and Mission
- Post a Membership Officer in every Org
- Double the number of IAS Field Disseminators
- Double the number of members on the Honor Roll and Senior Honor Roll
- Brief the staff and public of the Orgs in our zones on IAS accomplishments, news and activities and progress on these goals
- Promote the Monthly Supporter program, and double the number of IAS members signing up for it
- Include all new Scientologists in the group by swelling the ranks of Free 6-Month members, and then moving them up to Annual and Lifetime
- Double the number of members in our zones who move up the IAS Honor Status levels this year.
The Honor Roll is a list of Scientology’s largest donors – known as whales – and is published regularly in the IAS members ‘Impact’ magazine. Those featured are awarded titles, certificates and trophies tied to the total amount they have donated over their lifetime. The lowest tier is ‘Patron’, awarded to those who have contributed $50,000 to the IAS and the highest honour is listed as ‘Diamond Patron of Legend With Honors’, a title held only by Kennedy Foundation President Trish Duggan who is understood to have donated in excess of $360 million over her lifetime.
Impact Magazine describes the Honor Roll as “a list of IAS members who have recently moved up the IAS Honor Status levels and in so doing are forwarding the largest Third and Fourth Dynamic salvage effort ever undertaken. Through their dedication and support, the IAS continues to make major strides toward accomplishing its goals – achieving the Aims of Scientology”
The Senior Honor Roll is a separate list containing not only those who have donated vast sums of wealth to the organisation, but also played a role in securing donations from others. Impact magazine says “The Senior Honor Roll acknowledges members who have greatly helped to achieve the purpose of the IAS by increasing the number of those on the IAS membership and Honor Status Rolls.”
The most recent honor roll, according to an Impact Magazine published in late 2025, featured 300 names. There were 178 people listed on the Honor Roll shared after the IAS event in October. This represents a growing decline in recent years – in 2024, the Honor Roll featured 462 names and there were 380 people listed in 2023.
Doubling the number of names on the Honor Roll this year means Scientology leader David Miscavige is hoping to bring in a minimum of $8.9 million in additional donations this year – as the lowest tier that features on the list requires a donation of at least least $50,000.
In addition to annual and lifetime memberships, Miscavige recently introduced a monthly payment option, with members able to commit a regular portion of their income to the IAS. This is a relatively new option for Scientologists, and the leaked document confirms they are now expected to contribute a monthly amount on top of their membership dues. Scientologists are also asked to donate towards the ‘Ideal Org’ program and pay for services – both of which are separate to their financial contributions to the IAS. However, an IAS membership is mandatory for those hoping to study the confidential OT materials or own an E-Meter.
The current version of the E-Meter has a self-bricking function whereby it stops working if it is not linked up to a computer every six months to verify the owner’s IAS membership is still valid.
Meanwhile, the future of the annual IAS gathering itself remains uncertain. The event takes place in a mammoth marquee erected annually on the grounds of Saint Hill Manor without planning permission – and an application for formal consent is struggling to win over local authorities.
Either way, it is clear under the leadership of David Miscavige, Scientology’s focus has shifted from delivery of services to paying members – despite founder L. Ron Hubbard writing such a financial model would be untenable for the church.
4 responses
The social world of Scientologists is closed and subject not only to peer pressure, but also actual cohersion.
That's how the bait and switch has always worked. People are drawn on by promises that 'Scientology can help you with that', but find themselves paying to 'achieve' things that only impress other Scientologists (e.g. 'increace their confront' – look at 'success stories for other examples).
It seems there's been another 'switch' going on in orgs for some time, that is now approaching its end stage. That's a switch from making "fixed donations" to practice Scientology to donations and statuses becoming an end in themselves.
That's cheaper than providing a service (in the form of auditing). It might even be the case that UK orgs don't have the auditors to provide services, and members can't accumulate the money for 'advanced' services any more.
Adopting an IAS subscription model taps member's income like PAYE. Only a few will have the cash to go 'up the bridge' but they are the only people wanted at Saint Hill and flag.
This has to make retaining recruits more difficult – but I doubt orgs have recruited anyone for a long time.
Dave is now squeezing the last pennies out of the true beleivers and is in denial about the collapse of recruitment. For him the 'statistic' that indicates success is income.
The question is, have ve they invested so much time, money and self-esteem in Scientology that they will comply, or will the start to break?
"don't have the auditors" but now they need "a Membership Officer in every Org". What's one extra hat for staff of tiny orgs when they already wear a dozen each?
The resultant escalating financial pressure risks becoming self-defeating: the harsher the demands, the more likely it is to push remaining participants away, further accelerating the cycle of decline. Also worth remembering Paul Burkhart’s figures: between 2006 and 2013, Scientology mobilized enormous resources to sell “The Basics” — years of phone campaigns targeting a 180,000-name contact list — and the end result – after 7 years – was about 8,000 sets sold. That outcome puts the current IAS regging drives into a more realistic perspective.
Under Miscavige's leadership, Scientology has become a sophisticated wealth-extraction tool… The Golden Age of Tech, Knowledge, Tech Phase 2 and now Admin – are al examples of attempts to get members to pay up for materials they've already bought and re-tread their 'spiritual progress'. Add into that the IAS donations and Ideal Org fundraisers.. it's all about the money.