In mid-January, SCI’s President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, traveled to Hong Kong to attend a meeting of the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) Charity Trustees. The gathering was held alongside the ICMA East and South-East Asia Regional Meeting and centered on the theme, “Overcoming Challenges.”

Chaplains and seafarer welfare providers from across the region shared insights from their local ministries. Among them was the Rev. Dave Hinay, Port Chaplain with the Mission to Seafarers Thailand, who reflected on a decade of ministry in Bangkok. The meetings were hosted by the Rev. Canon Stephen Miller at The Mariners, a newly opened seafarers’ hotel owned and operated by the Mission to Seafarers–Hong Kong.

ICMA is a global network of more than 750 chaplains and ship visitors serving in over 90 countries. Mark Nestlehutt serves as Chair of ICMA’s Board and works closely with General Secretary Dr. Jason Zuidema. ICMA’s eight Charity Trustees are drawn from its 27 member societies and represent maritime ministries from around the world, including the Sailors’ Society, Nederlandse Zeevarendencentrale, Nordic Council of Seamen’s Missions (Danske Sømands- og Udlandskirker), Deutsche Seemannsmission (DSM), North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA), and the Mission to Seafarers. The board seat for Stella Maris (formerly Apostleship of the Sea) is currently vacant, pending an appointment by the Vatican.

SCI’s global impact is further strengthened through our Center for Mariner Advocacy (formerly the Center for Seafarer Rights), directed by Phil Schifflin, Esq., CAPT, USCG (Ret.). Phil leads ICMA’s delegation to the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva. He serves on committees and delegations to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, advocating for regulations that promote and protect seafarer welfare worldwide.