Check Out Bennette Seaman’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bennette Seaman.

Hi Bennette; we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am a proud native of Kansas City, Kansas. I studied political science, philosophy, and religion at the University of Kansas. I am the Church of Scientology Kansas City, MO’s public relations officer and vice chair of the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council. My passion is bringing people together to improve the city, establishing stronger relationships among churches and other like-minded groups, and organizing and taking part in humanitarian initiatives to tackle violent crime in our community, respond to disasters, raise awareness of human rights, and reverse our drug epidemic through drug education and prevention. I first became involved in Scientology when I was 19 years old, over 30 years ago. At that time, I was in a mentally abusive marriage with two children under 5 years old. A friend suggested I take a Life Improvement Course at the Church of Scientology in Kansas City. I did, and it helped me understand what was happening in my life and gave me the tools I needed to turn my life around.

We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Well, given that my journey to adulthood started rough, becoming pregnant at 16, marrying at 17, having my second child at 18, and then finding out that my husband and father of my children was not the person I thought he was—the journey to change my life was much smoother than what I was facing at 19. I believe that finding the Church of Scientology was exactly what I needed to gain the courage and strength to change my life positively. Through my work in the community, I have met many in similar situations and didn’t get out, only to worsen their lives. I am thankful to the friend who pointed me in the right direction. Within a year of taking that first course, I had the strength to get a divorce, secure a promotion, and buy my own home for me and my children. Within three years, I was remarried—to a wonderful man with two children—and then we added two more. We now have six grown children and seven grandchildren! We always face struggles and challenges as we make our way through life. I found direction through the teachings of Scientology Founder Mr. L. Ron Hubbard, so I just kept moving forward.

Please talk to us about happiness and what makes you happy.
True happiness comes from within. It concerns how we see things around us and what we choose to do or not do about those things. Since being introduced to Mr. Hubbard’s works and the Church of Scientology here in Kansas City, I discovered so many tools that have enriched my views on happiness. To begin with, the two things that impacted my concept of happiness and my ability to live a happy life were a book called The Way to Happiness and a course called “Personal Values and Integrity.” I found that I could be happy no matter what, as long as I lived my life in a decent, fair way and true to my convictions, which includes agreeing with standard societal morals. This is what The Way to Happiness is all about. Setting goals for myself, my family, my work, and my community and working toward those goals increases my happiness.

Thanks for sharing that. So, you could tell us a bit more about your work.
I have managed my husband’s dental practice for over 25 years; based on all the changes I was able to make in my life and the lives of my children, I wanted to use what I have learned to help others, so I began working at our Church in February 2019, to reach out to other churches and groups in our community, to build better relationships and to work with others to help improve conditions for all of us. I have learned so much since I began working in this capacity. I have met many wonderful people of other religions, socio–economic conditions, and ethnicities. And I have had the privilege to work with so many different organizations in their efforts to help others that I cannot think of anything more satisfying. It is also what I like the most about the principles of the Scientology religion, that we are all spiritual beings, first and foremost. There is no place for treating others differently. A turning point for our Church was in November 2019, when we were honored to have Mr. David Miscavige, the leader of our religion, come to Kansas City to dedicate our new Church. Mr. Miscavige inspired the creation of it every step of the way—from finding the perfect building right in the heart of the Crossroads district to its stunning renovation with all the historical elements of the building preserved. But the best thing about having this church is we finally have enough space and the perfect location to serve all of KC.

For example, the Kansas City Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV right after we opened the Church. We were right in the middle of the action and opened the Church, so all our friends and allies could watch together. This year when the Chiefs won again, we opened the Church for the celebration and staged it in our parking lot so people who wanted to could watch it outside.

We also put on family days to celebrate Christmas and other holidays and invite families from all over. We are so centrally located that we’re no more than 15 minutes from anywhere in the city. I especially love having underserved families enjoy the events in a safe place where they are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.

This has been extremely important to me since I was a child. I hated seeing others poorly treated because of their lack of wealth or skin color. It never made any sense to me at all. My work for our Church has only strengthened my intention to make this a more welcoming community for all. I would not change a thing about the road I have taken or where I am today. I look forward to contributing to making Kansas City a better and even more welcoming community for everyone.

We’d love to hear about your fond memories from growing up.
It is hard to pick a favorite. It was when I was about my 6th birthday party. My mother set it up at the Swope Park Zoo, I had friends and cousins there, and I remember running around and enjoying seeing all the animals. I was super fond of animals; I don’t know how many wounded birds and bunnies I tried to nurse back to health as a child, despite my parents warning me it was a lost cause!

Contact Info:

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