COMMODORE'S
MESSENGER
COMMODORE'S MESSENGER
BEFORE READING THIS BOOK, it is best you have an understanding of who I am. My mother was Yvonne Gillham-Jentzsch, the founder of Celebrity Centre for the Church of Scientology. After my parents divorced, my mother married Heber Jentzsch, who is well known as the President of the Church of Scientology International. My father is Peter F. Gillham (AKA Pete or Peter Snr.) who, in the 1970s, was known as one of the top lecturers on the subject of Scientology. In addition to his lectures Peter authored two successful books “Tell It Like It Is” and “The Fundamentals of Success” which thousands of people credited with helping them. He later became internationally known as a nutritionist with monthly newsletters giving nutritional advice and tips. In the 1980s he developed instant CalMag, leading him to develop Natural Calm by Natural Vitality in the 1990s, which he writes about in his book “The Miracle Nutrient.” Natural Calm remains a best-selling magnesium supplement and has helped thousands of people internationally improve their health. In the mid-1960s ”the Gillhams” were regarded as Scientology’s first family in Australia. When Scientology was banned in the Australian state of Victoria, my parents moved the family to England. Shortly afterwards we moved to the Scientology ships. In later years, we were accepted as the second family of Scientology. Yvonne headed up Scientology’s Celebrity Centre and built it to more than two hundred staff, while Peter introduced people into Scientology through his books, lecture and as the Executive Director of the Scientology Phoenix mission. Meanwhile my sister Terri, my sister-in-law Doreen Smith-Gillham and I were all senior ranking Commodore’s Messengers working directly with L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology. My brother, Peter Jr., also worked directly with L. Ron Hubbard on the ship and on land. As a child of 11, in January 1968, I arrived on the Scientology ship, the Royal Scotman where I became an original Commodore’s Messenger for L. Ron Hubbard. Over the next 11 years I spent six hours or more a day with L. Ron Hubbard, until December of 1979, when shortly after, Hubbard went into “hiding” with fellow Commodore’s Messengers, Annie and Pat Broeker. Hubbard passed away in January 1986. Many who were there say I was raised by Hubbard. My husband jokes that I was raised by wolves (living in a pack), but I believe I was not raised at all, but grew into the world around me. Ha! I lived on the Scientology ship, Apollo (previously named Royal Scotman) for eight years as a personal messenger for L. Ron Hubbard and then another three years by his side as he moved around the U.S. east coast to the west. As Commodore’s Messengers, we were direct representatives of Hubbard within the world of Scientology. After 22 years, I left in August 1990, no longer able to agree with the direction the Church of Scientology was taking. Along with my husband of 11 years, we disappeared into the night to raise a family outside of the world of Scientology.
Many books have been written about Scientology, but none with the unique and extraordinary viewpoint of long-time insider Janis Gillham Grady, who for years worked as a personal messenger for Scientology’s elusive founder, L. Ron Hubbard, known aboard his ships as “the Commodore.” Janis was born in Australia to Scientology “royalty,” the third child of Peter F. Gillham, the founder of Natural Calm, and Yvonne Gillham-Jentzsch, the founder of the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre. Her stepfather is Heber Jentzsch, known for many years as the President of the Church of Scientology International, and its primary spokesman. At age 11, Janis, along with her brother Peter Jr. and her sister Terri, traveled to the Mediterranean to join Scientology’s inner core, the Sea Organization. Aboard the Scientology ship Apollo, she worked for eight years as one of the personal messengers of Scientology’s controversial founder, L. Ron Hubbard. She had a front-row seat as Hubbard expanded his new religion into a worldwide empire. After 22 years working as Hubbard’s direct representative as a member of the elite Commodore’s Messenger Organization, Janis became disillusioned with the direction Scientology was taking under its brash new leadership and escaped from Scientology’s desert headquarters with her husband of eleven years, Paul Grady. They were done with Scientology, but Scientology was not done with them, covertly sending private investigators to stalk and harass them for years. Commodore’s Messenger is the first of a series of books that will chronicle Janis Grady’s epic journey
This is the second installment of the unique and extraordinary adventures of long-time insider and survivor, Janis Gillham Grady. For years, she worked as a personal assistant known as a "Commodore's Messenger" for Scientology’s elusive founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who was recognized aboard his ships as “the Commodore.” No books about Scientology compare to the scope of Janis' or for the meticulous detail, accuracy and depth of insight that she reveals from the epicenter of the Scientology movement.
Janis was born in Australia to Scientology “royalty,” the youngest child of Peter F. Gillham, the founder of internationally noted nutritional product "Natural Calm", and Yvonne Gillham-Jentzsch, founder of the Church of Scientology’s Celebrity Centre. Janis' stepfather is Heber Jentzsch, known for many years as the President of the Church of Scientology International, and its primary spokesman.
This book picks up where Book One ended with Janis, at age 14, along with her older brother Peter and sister Terri, all members of Scientology’s inner core, the Sea Organization. Aboard the Scientology ship Apollo, Janis worked as one of the first four personal messengers of Scientology’s controversial leader, L. Ron Hubbard. She took a front-row seat as they sailed between Spain, Portugal and Morocco then crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean as more and more ports and countries denied entry to the Apollo. This book takes the reader from October 1970 until October 1975, when L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology headquarters moved from aboard his personal yacht to land in the United States.
Covered in a subsequent volume, after 22 years of working as Hubbard’s direct representative as a member of the elite Commodore’s Messenger Organization, Janis became totally disillusioned with the direction Scientology was taking under its brash new leadership. She escaped from Scientology’s desert headquarters with her husband of eleven years, Paul Grady. They were done with the Sea Organization, but as they were to find out, Scientology operatives were not yet DONE with them-covertly sending private investigators to stalk them for years.
This book entitled Commodore’s Messenger: Riding Out the Storms is the second volume in a series of books that chronicles Janis Grady’s epic journey and that of the Sea Organization, Hubbard's para-military elite corps of so- loyal officers.