By the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt President & Executive Director he Seamen’s Church Institute has led mariner education and training since the early 1900s and has prepared maritime chaplains to serve seafarers since the mid-19th century. In 1982, SCI took a decisive step forward by formalizing its advocacy work through the establishment of the Center for Seafarers’ […]
Read MoreBy Philip C. Schifflin, Esq. Director, Center for Mariner Advocacy At the Seamen’s Church Institute’s Center for Mariner Advocacy, one of our missions is to help ensure that the human aspect of shipping is never overlooked amid geopolitical tensions, commercial pressures, or regulatory complexities. We best accomplish this mission when we work collaboratively with other interested parties such […]
Read MoreBy Naomi Walker, Ph.D. Manager, Special Projects Seafarers on a months-long contract sometimes pass weeks aboard their vessel before calling at the Port of New York and New Jersey. Living and working in the same space with nowhere else to go to decompress means that spending time ashore is of great importance. It’s vital to get off the ship and […]
Read MoreBy Stefan D-W Tisdale SCI, Archivist People who work on boats have always documented their work and their lives aboard. The forms of documentation have ranged between things that resemble historical research and archives to those that resemble journalism and many forms of art, whether in tattoos, scrimshaw, journaling, painting, drawing, printing, scrapbooks, shanties, sea […]
Read MoreBy Michelle McWilliams, LSW SCI Chaplain, International Seafarers’ Center From the February Quarterly Activity Report Over the past month, I have been able to fulfill a number of requests from crew members while visiting ships. My guiding principle in responding to these requests is discretion rooted in practicality and feasibility; whether something can be done […]
Read MoreOn May 12, 2026, at the International Seafarers’ Center in Port Newark, New Jersey, the Life Saving Benevolent Association (LSBA) recognized this year’s honorees for extraordinary acts of bravery. In keeping with its awards criteria “for the rescue of human life on the sea or connected waters”, the LSBA awarded medals to Thomas Walsh and Frank LaFerrara […]
Read MoreOn May 12, the Training Ship Empire State VII departed Fort Schuyler to begin SUNY Maritime College’s Summer Sea Term (SST), with SCI Chaplain the Rev. Geoff Davis joining cadets and crew for the first leg of the voyage. This marks Davis’s second year participating in the program, and he is thrilled to once again support cadets […]
Read MoreAt a recent session at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), maritime welfare leaders delivered a clear message: seafarers need more than regulation—they need real, human support. Hosted by the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA), the discussion highlighted the critical role of welfare organizations working directly with seafarers in ports around the world. While international frameworks […]
Read MoreBy the Rev. Grace Pardun SCI Supervisory Chaplain, Ministry on the River A deckhand called out as I was passing through the galley, “Hey, Chaps! Can I talk to you for a sec?” “Absolutely!” I responded as we stepped out to the deck locker. “What’s going on?” The mariner began to share how tough things had been at […]
Read MoreBy Capt. Stephen Polk Director, Center for Maritime Education Every safe voyage depends on more than a single tool; it depends on how well a watchstander builds a complete picture using all available information. In today’s busy and complex waterways, when vessels find themselves in close-quarter situations, the difference between a near miss and a […]
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