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Scientology coverage

Scientology missionary a multifaceted personality

Musician, philosopher, counselor, teacher andentrepreneur, Milton James opens a center to share his ideas and spread the word.

By JONNELLE MARTE
Published June 16, 2006

SOUTHEAST SEMINOLE HEIGHTS - Milton James came to the neighborhood with a simple thought: Something's got to change.

James, 58, opened the Church of Scientology Mission of Old Tampa Bay two weeks ago in a two-story house at 902 E Louisiana Ave., hoping to share his ideas.

"People need help," said James, who lives in Clearwater with his wife, Rose James. "The same old stuff is not working."

Some people fall into crime because they "feel stupid or ignorant," he said. Scientology can help them "see they have in their own grasp the ability to understand."

That concept, part of Scientology's study program, is what James said he wants to share with people, especially the African-American community.

He described the mission as a self-teaching center, where students purchase books and work through the exercises with the help of a supervisor. Courses run from $25 to $125.

Trained volunteers and employees will teach courses and offer counseling services. The mission is open 7 to 10 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturdays.

Each room has framed photos of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. His books fill the shelves of the bookstore, offering guidance on how to improve everything from finances to relationships and parenthood.

The counseling room has a stress test machine, which is designed to measure charges created by emotions.

The course room features buckets of building blocks - learning tools to help students visualize things. Next to the reception room is a small area for watching videos.

James was born in Tennessee but grew up in Mississippi in a small town called Itta Bena. He got his bachelor's degree in political science at Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he said he organized some civil rights marches.

He came across Scientology while going to law school at Boston University. A woman handed him a flier and he started reading books on the subject. The philosophies he learned about answered a lot of the questions he had about life, he said.

"I was always searching for: 'Is there more to life than what we go through day to day?' " said James, executive director of the Florida chapter of Ebony Awakenings, a group of African-American Scientologists. "Part of it was also: 'How do you develop yourself? How do you come to know your own potential?' "

James never finished law school. He said an incident at the voting polls in which he was unfairly arrested made him feel "a little disillusioned with the law."

He also wanted to focus on more artistic ventures. He plays keyboards and harmonica and writes music in his spare time.

After dropping out of law school, James took on a variety of roles. He said he spent some time counseling at Harvard University and later teaching for Boston city schools.

For a while he owned an African restaurant in Cambridge, which featured classical and jazz music on the weekends, he said. He migrated to Los Angeles to study Scientology and started an advertising distribution company there, which is still open.

In the 1990s, Scientology brought him to Florida, where he is operations manager for a document retrieval service in Clearwater.

With donations from local parishioners, James rents the building from Phil Alessi Jr., whose father owns Alessi Bakery, a longtime local business. His lease lasts for six months.

Alessi said his decision to rent the building to James does not reflect on his views of Scientology.

"I'm not for or against it,'' Alessi said. "It's just a business decision.''

James said he has received positive feedback about the center, but some neighbors said not everyone is happy about having a Scientology outpost in the area.

"I can't speak for my neighbors, but I'm hearing a lot of grumbling. They don't want them there," said Sherry Genovar-Simons, president of the Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association.

The city's zoning department recently found violations on the property, which has upset some neighbors and made them wonder if James will have to close the outreach center.

"When you come in to any space to run a business ... you need to find out what you need to do to operate correctly," Genovar-Simons said. "You can't just come in."

Zoning officials said that while the building's zoning allows for a church or counseling center, Alessi needs to pull the proper permits and submit a site plan for how the building will be used. Also, a fence in front of the property is taller than allowed.

To comply with city codes, Alessi must create a buffer between the building and adjacent houses and provide enough off-street parking, said Gloria Moreda, the manager of the city's land development coordination office.

Code enforcement officials said Alessi has until June 23 to bring the property into compliance or ask for more time.

Alessi said he has been working with zoning officials to take care of the issues. For now, James can keep the mission open.

Times researcher Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Jonnelle Marte can be reached at jmarte@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3404.

[Last modified January 12, 2007, 10:40:25]