Verlene Cheeseboro, Director of Public Affairs of the Church of Scientology Harlem, is now the first Scientology minister ordained at the Church of Scientology of Harlem. Executive Director of the Harlem Church, Rev. Phyllis Mack, conducted the ceremony.

In performing the ordination, Rev. Mack acknowledged Cheeseboro’s completion of the required study of Scientology Scripture, her demonstration of the high ethical standards required of a Scientology minister, and Cheeseboro’s commitment to ministering to the needs of her parishioners and the community while upholding the religious and ethics precepts and principles of the Scientology religion.

The ceremony concluded with Rev. Cheeseboro delivering the Scientology Prayer for Total Freedom.

Cheeseboro, a retired officer of the New York State Department of Corrections, first learned of Scientology in 1998 from a colleague at the after-school tutoring program where she volunteered. In 2006, to make Scientology more broadly available, she became part of a corps of Scientologists determined to bring the religion to Harlem. The new 125th Street premises of the Church of Scientology of Harlem is scheduled to open in 2012.

“Harlem is very spiritual, and Scientology has been warmly welcomed here,” says Cheeseboro. “Scientology offers solutions to the myriad problems plaguing communities of color throughout the country, from education and business issues to personal relationship problems and the rampant violence visited upon our youth. And bringing Scientology to Harlem is particularly significant, because Harlem sets the trend for people of color throughout the country.