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Heber Carl Jentzsch (born 1935) has served as president of the Church of Scientology International since 1982.

Biography

Heber Jentzsch grew up in a Mormon family, and identified himself as a "believing Mormon". He is the son of polygamist Carl Jentzsch (who was excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and Carl's third wife Pauline; Heber has 42 siblings. While Heber Jentzsch was never baptized into the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his first name was inspired by the Latter-day Saint apostle Heber C. Kimball.

Jentzsch was educated at Weber State University in Utah and the University of Utah, where he graduated in 1959 with a degree in communications and also studied Eastern religions.

Before his involvement with Scientology, which he joined in 1967, Jentzsch was a journalist with the Los Angeles Free Press and an actor, having a bit part in the movie Paint Your Wagon. The Internet Movie Database lists Jentzsch with one credited acting appearance, a small part playing a Nazi in one episode of the 1960s television series Combat!, and with an uncredited role in the movie 1776.

According to Jentzsch, two events of his life were pivotal: the arrest of his father in 1955, and himself being "cured" in the Scientology Purification Rundown from "radiation burns" he had suffered from since he was 15.

Role

During the 1970s, Jentzsch became the public relations director of the Church's later-notorious Guardian's Office, serving as the Church's chief press spokesman. He has continued in this role since his promotion to the post of President of the Church of Scientology International; in January 1986 it fell to him to inform the press of the death of L. Ron Hubbard. He has often appeared in newspaper interviews, aggressively defending the church on several occasions.

While David Miscavige is regarded as the actual leader of Scientology and has the rank of Captain in the Sea Org, Jentzsch has the rank of Lieutenant and is considered to be a titular president.

Arrest and trial in Spain

In 1988 Heber Jentzsch was arrested in Spain along with 69 other members of the organization. Jentzsch was incarcerated in a Spanish jail for about three weeks. He was released and returned to the United States after Scientology paid a bail bond of approximately $1 million. Sixteen people, including Jentzsch, were charged with "illegal association" and various other crimes including tax fraud and endangering public health. The trial of the indictees began in February 2001, but Jentzsch himself did not turn up; the prosecution called for him to be given a 56-year prison sentence. However, the Madrid Provincial Court threw out all but the conspiracy charge and eventually ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove this charge as well. In April 2002, the charge was formally dropped. The court also ordered that the bail bond deposited for his release in 1988 be returned to the Church along with interest, which nearly doubled the original amount.

Articles

• Jentzsch, Heber (2000-04-21). "Liberty, Equality, Intolerance", Los Angeles Times.
• Jentzsch, Heber (1998-02-25). "German Scientologists" (letter to the Editor), New York Times.

Sources

1. "Inside the Church of Scientology". Larry King Live. 1993-12-20. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
2. ^ "UTAH-BORN SCIENTOLOGY PRESIDENT SAYS THE RELIGION SAVED HIS LIFE", The Salt Lake Tribune, 9.12.1992
3. "Scientologists march on courthouse", UPI 20.5.1985
4. Jentzsch biography in John Naisbitt, High Tech High Touch: Technology and Our Accelerated Search for Meaning, p. 253. Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2004.
5. Curran, Ron (April 4, 1986). "Scientology: The other side of the looking glass". LA Weekly. 9 (19).
6. "Scientology - The Road to Total Freedom?". Panorama. 27 April 1987. BBC. BBC1. {{cite episode}}: Unknown parameter |serieslink= ignored (|series-link= suggested) (help)
7. Omar V. Garrison, Playing Dirty, p. 142. Ralston-Pilot, 1980. ISBN 0-931116-04-X
8. Jon Atack, A Piece of Blue Sky, p. 354. Lyle Stuart, 1990. ISBN 0-8184-0499-X
9. "Jentzsch appears on talk show Geraldo in 1991".
10. "Jentzsch appears on KFI radio Los Angeles".
11. "Jentzsch appears on 60 minutes".
12. The man behind Scientology: David Miscavige, the seldom-seen leader of the church, comes forth in his first newspaper interview to talk of a more peaceful time for Scientology, St. Petersburg Times, 25. October 1998
13. The Office of Special Affairs (1983 to present)
14. Mystery of the Vanished Ruler, TIME, January 31, 1983
15. UPI (1988-11-22), "51 Scientology leaders charged", The Ottawa Citizen, pp. A13{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
16. Koff, Stephen (1988-11-24). "Judge orders Scientology leader jailed". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2007-12-24. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
17. FOLLOW-UPS: SHAMED IN SPAIN, Fortune, January 16, 1989
18. "15 Scientologists on Trial", The New York Times, February 8, 2001.
19. "Spanish Court Acquits Scientologists", Associated Press, December 3, 2001
20. "Spanish court drops charges against Scientology chief after 14 years", Agence France Presse, April 11, 2002

External links

• Heber Jentzsch at IMDb
• Official Biography

• American Scientologists
• Leaders of Scientology
• 1935 births
• Living people
• Converts to Scientology
• Weber State University alumni
• University of Utah alumni