On March 5, our Paducah, KY, staff and leadership were delighted to welcome more than 50 community members for a special luncheon. Guests had the opportunity to get to know our team, tour the Center for Maritime Education (CME), and learn more about how SCI programs support and uplift mariners navigating the inland waterways SCI […]
Read MoreAsh Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal in the Christian tradition. The imposition of ashes—often accompanied by the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”—is a powerful reminder of our shared humanity, humility, and need for grace. At the Seamen’s Church Institute, distributing […]
Read Moreby Matt Morse, Esq. Director of SCI’s International Seafarers’ Center Presenting at the 2026 Women on the Water (“WOW”) Conference in Baltimore, MD, was both an honor and a meaningful professional experience. When unexpected travel issues prevented me from presenting in person, the disruption became a fitting reminder of the unpredictability mariners and seafarers face […]
Read Moreby the Rev. Grace Pardun, SCI Supervisory Chaplain, Ministry on the River, Upper Mississippi & Ohio River Region From the February Quarterly Activity Report It was Friday night, and I had just fallen asleep. My dog was curled up next to me, snoring away. I was drifting off to dreamland when, in my dream, an […]
Read MorePhil Schifflin, Esq., Director of SCI’s Center for Mariner Advocacy, regularly advocates for regulations and policies that strengthen seafarer well-being. One area in urgent need of reform has been the persistent problem of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, and—in the most egregious cases—sexual assault at sea. For far too long, seafarers have endured this unacceptable behavior […]
Read MoreIn 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 […]
Read MoreIn 2025, more than 75% of crisis responses by SCI’s Ministry on the River Chaplains were related to physical or mental health issues, with only 23% connected to accidents. Mariners faced challenges including heart attacks, extreme fatigue, anxiety, depression, substance use, and suicidal thoughts—signs of a deepening wellness crisis within the inland maritime community. As […]
Read MoreThroughout 2025, the Center for Maritime Education continued to collaborate with partners across the U.S. inland and Gulf Coast maritime industry. Mariner enrollment remained steady, with training schedules in Paducah, KY, and Houston, TX, fully booked throughout the year. Across both facilities, CME worked with more than 1,200 mariners in our simulators and provided e-Learning […]
Read Moreby the Rev. Dr. Bill Allport Chaplain, International Seafarers’ Center, Port of New York & New Jersey From the December 2025 Quarterly Activity Report Autumn brings notable changes to our Port of New York and New Jersey—changes in the seasons, weather, daylight, and the rhythm of vessels. But beyond these seasonal shifts, there are the […]
Read MoreSeamen’s Church Institute was featured on Religion Unplugged in the podcast episode “Ministering to Mariners.” The conversation underscores the vital role of the maritime shipping industry in sustaining the modern world—and how the millions of mariners who make it possible often go unnoticed. Drawing on SCI’s nearly 200-year, profound and storied history, the episode highlights how the […]
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