Sustaining Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsor
Sustaining Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsor
Sustaining Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsor
Sustaining Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
In-Kind Sponsor
North America’s Largest, Most Comprehensive Seafarer & Mariner Service Agency
The Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) reach, influence, scale, and level of innovation for both international seafarers and U.S. mariners is unmatched in the North American maritime community. We are dedicated to mariner well-being, pastoral care, maritime training, navigational and vessel safety, legal advocacy, and global policy for the vital yet often overlooked role of those who work within the maritime industry. Our work and mission is only made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, donors and volunteers.
SCI and KOTUG renew strategic partnership on maritime training
The renewed agreement between The Seamen’s Church Institute’s CME and KOTUG Training and Consultancy strengthens both organizations’ ability to meet the evolving demands of the maritime industry and supports our shared mission to enhance safety, performance, and professionalism. Click below to read the article in MarineLog.
SCI Equips Chaplains to Serve Mariners with Episcopal Church’s United Thank Offering Grant
Thanks to a $45,000 grant from UTO, SCI is launching I Sea You: Equipping Chaplains to Support the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Needs of Mariners Marginalized by Sea Blindness. This two-phase initiative will identify the essential competencies maritime chaplains need and create a trauma-informed continuing education curriculum to train them to meet mariners’ unique needs.
Suicide Awareness–No Mariner Should Stand Alone
SCI Supervisory Chaplain Grace Pardun highlights the issue of suicide and mariners. She outlines common warning signs, stresses the importance of being direct, listening without judgment, and helping those who are struggling with a practical long-term safety plan. With a 24/7 crisis line (800.708.1998) and ASIST/SafeTALK trainings, SCI seeks to work with companies to build awareness so no mariner stands alone.
Mariner Wellness Insights from GICA and AWO Industry Discussions
Center for Mariner Advocacy Director Phil Schifflin, Esq., presented some key mental health findings at two key domestic maritime gatherings in August 2025: the American Waterways Operators Safety Meeting and the Gulf Intracoastal Canal Association Conference. Follow this link to learn about how we might do more to assist inland and coastal mariners.
Remembering SCI Trustee Jim Lawrence
In an interview in 2018, as SCI’s Silver Bell honoree that year, Jim Lawrence spoke passionately about his longtime commitment to supporting the Seamen’s Church Institute and the mariners we serve. Jim’s absence will be profoundly felt by all of us at the SCI and by mariners and seafarers worldwide. Thank you, Jim: your presence and passion enriched our lives and strengthened our mission!
How The Center for Mariner Advocacy Helps With Challenges Facing Today’s Seafarers
Seafarers play a crucial role in global trade and commerce, ensuring the smooth transportation of goods across the world’s oceans. However, they face numerous challenges that impact both their professional and personal lives. Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts from governments, international organizations, shipping companies, and advocacy groups. The Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Center for Mariner Advocacy (CMA), plays a vital part in championing the rights and welfare of seafarers.
Seafarer & Mariner Services
Pastoral Care, Crisis Response, and Support for Domestic Mariners and International Seafarers through our team of trained Chaplains.
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Center for Maritime Education
Simulator Training, e-Learning, Engineering Feasibility Studies, Mariner Safety & Safe Waterways are at the core of CME.
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Center for Mariner Advocacy
Dedicated year-round to safeguarding mariner wellbeing, dignity, and rights.
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Time For A Change? The Case for Towboat Simulator Models
Published in Waterways Journal, Center for Maritime Education Director Capt. Stephen Polk highlights the increasing dependence on simulators for essential training in the inland towing industry, emphasizing the need for validated standards to guarantee accurate, safe, and consistent training and assessment of towboat operators.
OUR VALUES
COMPASSION
Above all, SCI profoundly cares for mariners and seafarers: recognizing their needs, the challenge of their work, and the vital contributions they make to world commerce.
DEPENDABILITY
SCI is resolute in our mission. We will always stand with mariners and seafarers in support of the human element within the maritime community.
INTEGRITY
SCI and its programs are dedicated to operating with transparency, professionalism, and a deep sense of purpose.
Advocacy in action: Seafarers’ rights advance at international maritime meeting
Posted to SeaTrade Maritime News—Phil Schifflin, Esq., Director of the Center for Mariner Advocacy, shares key updates on seafarers’ rights from the April 2025 ILO Maritime Special Tripartite Committee meeting in Geneva.
Addressing Seafarer Mental Health.
As SCI President & Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, notes: “We all worry, and we all wish for safety and security for ourselves and our families. Seafarers are no different, yet they face challenges while at sea, in an isolated and often risky environment.” Learn more by downloading Addressing and Managing Seafarer Mental Health Challenges, published in collaboration with the American P&I Club.
The Masthead
Read The Masthead, our monthly online newsletter, and catch up on the latest happenings in SCI’s mission areas. You can subscribe to the Masthead here.
The Lookout
The Lookout is SCI’s semiannual magazine that provides deeper insights into SCI news, history, and events.
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Linked-In
Stay informed about SCI’s latest news and impact within the maritime industry by connecting with us on LinkedIn.
The Origins of SCI
Explore our legacy of supporting mariners and seafarers. This 12-minute video traces SCI’s origins from a small floating church nestled within the port of New York to its growth into North America’s largest and most comprehensive mariner and seafarer service agency.