The Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) has received a $500,000 grant from the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust to support Ministry on the River: Renewal, Reflection & Reach. This two-year initiative will strengthen and expand SCI’s Ministry on the River (MOR) program and advance a key commitment of the organization’s most recent strategic plan. The initiative will invest in SCI’s Chaplaincy team and grow its network of Chaplain Associates, extending pastoral care, crisis support, and a ministry of presence to mariners across America’s inland waterways. The investment will help ensure that more mariners have access to trusted support where they live and work. 

“We are deeply grateful to the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust for this transformative investment in our Ministry on the River program,” said the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, President and Executive Director of the Seamen’s Church Institute. “As the industry and the needs of its workforce continue to evolve, our commitment remains the same: to meet mariners where they are and provide a trusted, confidential presence in their everyday lives and in times of need. This investment allows us to carry that tradition forward for U.S. inland mariners while building a stronger, more connected chaplaincy network for the future.” 

For nearly three decades, Ministry on the River has served inland mariners, shoreside personnel, and their families. SCI Chaplains meet mariners where they work—aboard vessels, at docks and terminals, during crew changes, and throughout the communities that support the inland maritime industry. 

That ministry of presence is particularly important for a workforce whose jobs can mean long periods away from home and family. Through vessel visits, confidential conversations, crisis response, and fellowship, SCI Chaplains provide a consistent source of support as mariners navigate the personal, emotional, and spiritual challenges that can accompany life on the waterways. The Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust grant will enable SCI to invest not only in expanding the reach of that ministry, but also in the people who provide it. 

Central to the initiative will be developing continuing education and professional development offerings designed specifically for maritime chaplaincy. Online training modules will help SCI Chaplains and Chaplain Associates strengthen the specialized knowledge and skills needed to support mariners and respond to the unique realities of life and work on the water. Complementing this training, reflective practice groups will give Chaplains structured opportunities to discuss their experiences with colleagues, learn from challenging situations, share effective approaches, and develop peer mentoring relationships. Together, these resources will promote greater consistency across SCI’s geographically dispersed chaplaincy network while providing Chaplains with the professional and peer support needed to sustain their work over the long term. 

The initiative will also strengthen onboarding and training for SCI’s non-stipendiary Chaplain Associates, who extend Ministry on the River’s presence throughout U.S. inland waterways and shorelines. By building relationships with mariners in communities beyond the immediate reach of SCI’s full-time Chaplains, Chaplain Associates help advance SCI’s long-term goal of having support available within a two-hour drive of any inland mariner in need. Enhanced preparation will equip these Chaplain Associates with the knowledge, resources, and confidence to serve effectively as part of the broader Ministry on the River network. 

Through Renewal, Reflection & Reach, that investment will ultimately be measured in stronger chaplains, deeper connections, and a Ministry on the River better equipped to walk alongside the mariners who keep America’s waterways, and its commerce, moving.