Mike Rinder
| Mike Rinder | |
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Rinder in April 2010
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| Born |
Michael John Rinder 10 April 1955 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Residence | Palm Harbor, Florida, US |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Citizenship | Australian-American |
| Known for | Former Executive Director, Office of Special Affairs (OSA) |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Website | mikerindersblog |
Michael "Mike" John Rinder (/ˈrɪndər/; born 10 April 1956) is an Australian former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States.
From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the Board of Directors of CSI and also held the post of Executive Director of its Office of Special Affairs, overseeing the corporate, legal and public relations matters of the Church at the international level. Rinder left the Church in 2007 after becoming disillusioned with what he perceived to be the increasingly authoritarian nature of senior management under David Miscavige.
Rinder is an Australian national who joined the Sea Org on the ship Apollo at 18. In a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone, Rinder said he had experienced discrimination in Australia during the period when the Australian state of Victoria had banned Scientology: "You couldn't own Scientology books ... If you did, you had to hide them because if the police came and found them, they'd take them away."
As Executive Director of the Office of Special Affairs, he served as the chief spokesperson and representative of the Church to the media, until replaced by Tommy Davis in 2005 under orders from David Miscavige.
In March 2007, Rinder was sent as the international spokesman of the Church to defend Scientology from John Sweeney, who was filming a BBC documentary titled Scientology and Me. Rinder defended Scientology leader David Miscavige, but Miscavige was unhappy with the documentary. As a result, Rinder "was to report to the church's facility in Sussex, England, and dig ditches" and then was to be allowed to return to the United States. Rinder instead decided to leave the church. Rinder went to Virginia and told the church he wanted to speak to his wife and also wanted his possessions. He did not speak to his wife, but was sent a FedEx package with a check for $5,000. His family photos were not sent. Rinder and his first wife, Cathy, divorced after 35 years. He and his second wife, Christie King Collbran, were married in 2013 and have a son. He has no contact with his two adult children from his first marriage. Rinder's official biography has since been removed from the official Church of Scientology website.
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