|
MARINERS DEPEND ON SCI.
SCI DEPENDS ON YOU.
| | |
IN THIS ISSUE – May 2025
- 47th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner—June 12, 2025
- SCI's President and Executive Director Participates in ICMA Latin America Regional Meeting in Brazil
- Director of SCI's Center for Mariner Advocacy featured in Seatrade Maritime News
- Center for Mariner Advocacy Welcomes Summer 2025 Intern
- See You On The Mountain: Register for the 2025 SCI Mountain Challenge
- Ministry in Motion: A Reflection by Chaplain Grace Pardun
- McAllister Towing Partners with SCI for Advanced Mariner Training
- SCI Builds on 2024 TXIT Study for Texas A&M Galveston’s Proposed Training Ship Dock
- Chaplain Intern Cora Walters Reflects on Her Time at SCI
- Bringing a Taste of Home to Seafarers
- SCI Marks 5 Years Supporting SUNY Maritime Cadets at Sea
-
The Lookout—Spring 2025
-
From the SCI Archives: SCI Creates a Safe Space for the World's Mariners
| | THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS | | |
Join us for the 47th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner as we celebrate the maritime community and honor Christopher J. Wiernicki, Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping, with the Silver Bell Award, and Joseph E.M. Hughes, Chairman of the Shipowners Claims Bureau, Inc., Managers of the American P&I Club, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Click below for more details and to register for the event.
| | SCI's President and Executive Director Participates in ICMA Latin America Regional Meeting in Brazil | | |
The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, President and Executive Director of the Seamen’s Church Institute and Chair of ICMA Board of Trustees, participated in the International Christian Maritime Association's Latin America Regional Meeting held in Santos, Brazil, from April 23 to 25, 2025. The event brought together ship visitors, port chaplains, center directors, and leadership from Germany, the UK, the USA, and Canada for three days of meetings with port authorities, operators, labor representatives, and other industry partners to advance seafarer welfare.
On the opening day of the conference, he delivered a presentation titled “What is the value of our collective voice?”, emphasizing the significance of collaboration and unified advocacy in maritime ministry.
| | The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, SCI’s President & Executive Director and Chair of ICMA Board of Trustees, addresses members of the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) at the 2025 ICMA Latin America Regional Meeting. | | Director of SCI's Center for Mariner Advocacy Featured in Seatrade Maritime News | | |
In an article 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 held in Geneva.
Click here to read the article.
|
| Center for Mariner Advocacy Welcomes Summer 2025 Intern | | |
Leilany Rodriguez of Tulane Law School has been selected as the Center for Mariner Advocacy’s (CMA) summer intern for 2025. Leilany will be the thirtieth intern to serve in this capacity, continuing a partnership between the Seamen’s Church Institute and Tulane Law School that began in 1993.
Leilany shares her thoughts on joining CMA: "I’m thrilled to be joining the Center for Mariner Advocacy team this summer. With a background in finance, logistics, and international shipping, and now as a law student deeply interested in maritime law, this internship is a natural next step in exploring how I can contribute to a global industry that often goes unnoticed but is essential to daily life. I was especially drawn to CMA’s mission of advocating for seafarers’ rights and ensuring dignified working conditions at sea. I’m looking forward to learning more about port state control, international labor standards, and the legal mechanisms that protect mariners. Through this experience, I hope to deepen my understanding of maritime regulatory frameworks and gain hands-on exposure to the intersection of law, humanitarian service, and global commerce."
SCI is pleased to welcome Leilany, who joined us on May 12.
| | SCI invites the maritime community to join us on September 25–28 at the Sunday River Resort in Maine for a test of endurance inspired by mariners. | | Ministry in Motion: A Reflection by Chaplain Grace Pardun | | |
“What do you do?” It’s a common conversation starter. Most people expect to hear about an office job or something universally understood, like being a nurse or a teacher. But 100% of the time when I answer, “I’m the Supervisory Chaplain for Ministry on the River with Seamen’s Church Institute,” people stop what they’re doing and start asking a million questions. And I love it. Ask me anything! I love this calling. I love the mariners we serve. I love my colleagues. And I love talking about it!
In addition to the privilege of being invited to come alongside mariners after they’ve experienced critical incidents on the river, we’re also welcomed during celebratory times with companies. One day this month, I had the honor of christening two boats for Ingram Barge Company, leading a mindfulness training during a crew change for Hines Furlong Line, and attending a company culture meeting for Pine Bluff Materials. All before lunchtime!
While the legacy and impact of the Seamen’s Church Institute precede me, I’m thinking strategically about our outreach initiatives. I connect with mariners during crew changes, visit boats, meet with shoreside staff, and attend nearly every event I’m invited to. Every day, I feel like I could be in three places at once and still miss out on opportunities to connect with the maritime community.
| | |
One initiative I’m especially excited about is finding the most practical and accessible ways to share our information with mariners. We already have magnets with our crisis line for galley fridges, and business cards with chaplain contact details. But one of our Chaplain Associate trainees had a brilliant idea: stickers for hardhats with SCI’s information. Between the magnets, stickers, and new wallet-sized mini pamphlets, we’re spreading the word about SCI’s commitment to caring for all mariners—in every way we can.
| | Above: Hardhat sticker designed by Chaplain Grace Pardun and SCI Communications Associate, Bridgit Patterson. | | McAllister Towing Partners with SCI for Advanced Mariner Training | | Photo courtesy of McAllister Towing (Linkedin). | | |
McAllister Towing recently brought a cohort of captains and mates to the Seamen’s Church Institute’s Center for Maritime Education (CME) in Paducah, KY, for advanced simulator training designed to sharpen skills and enhance safety in modern towing operations.
Mariners engaged in hands-on exercises that reflect the complexities of real-world ship handling. Training scenarios included tethered escort operations, T2 and T2D positioning, indirect mode maneuvers, bow-to-bow handling, and deck-edge immersion. All of these are critical maneuvers in today’s demanding tugboat operations. Moving beyond the classroom, simulator exercises like these are hands-on, building instinct, precision, and confidence under pressure.
At SCI, we are always honored when respected inland and coastal operators like McAllister Towing choose CME for their training needs. We share their deep commitment to safety, innovation, and professional development as we work together to prepare the next generation of maritime leaders.
| | SCI Builds on 2024 TXIT Study for Texas A&M Galveston’s Proposed Training Ship Dock | | A screen still of CME’s swept-path analysis of towboat and barge models maneuvering in the Galveston Channel with the proposed Texas A&M Dock. | | |
The Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Center for Maritime Education (CME) was asked to provide updated data to support Texas A&M University at Galveston’s proposed dock for its new National Security Multi-Mission Vessel, utilized as a training ship for Texas A&M cadets. The request came from Capt. David Foret, of the ACTion Group and Chair of the Navigation Subcommittee, during the Lone Star Harbor Safety Committee meeting on May 2 at USCG Sector Houston/Galveston.
Capt. Foret, aware of CME’s 2024 feasibility study for Texas International Terminals (TXIT), inquired of CME whether that data could be expanded to assess the potential impact of the proposed dock’s construction and placement in the Galveston Channel on vessel traffic and navigational safety. The answer was, yes.
The project involves extending an existing open-pile pier with new mooring points and bumpers, constructing a 610-foot dock using a combination of steel sheet piling bulkhead with an open-pile concrete dock with steel pipe pile structures, and dredging approximately 35,000 cubic yards of material to a depth of 30 feet below mean lower low water. Using these specifications, CME created and ran simulations with towboats and tanker barges under various conditions to evaluate navigational impacts. CME then produced a series of swept-path visuals, providing clear, data-driven illustrations of vessel movement near the construction site. The analysis showed that marine traffic would remain largely unaffected, helping to resolve stakeholder concerns over navigational safety.
In finding creative ways to expand on existing research, CME delivered timely, actionable insights that informed stakeholders and reinforced its core mission of advancing mariner safety through improved navigational analysis and risk mitigation.
| | A computer-generated image of Texas A&M’s training vessel at the proposed dock site in the Galveston Channel, courtesy of MARAD. Image courtesy: Texas A&M Galveston | | Chaplain Intern Cora Walters Reflects on Her Time at SCI | |
The first time I visited a shipping terminal, I felt like I was on another planet. How could this world of containers, cranes, and ships—larger than anything I'd ever seen—exist in the same world I've known my whole life? Or a 24-person crew transporting 5,000 cars or 17,000 tons of orange juice? I was confronted with impossibility after impossibility—until I started speaking with the seafarers themselves: people who are strong, determined, exhausted, and often rendered invisible. They do the work that keeps the world turning—work that feels impossible.
The Seamen's Church Institute is a place where seafarers are acknowledged, supported, and celebrated. I learned this during my time at SCI, where I served as a Chaplain Intern from September 2024 to April 2025. As a seminarian pursuing an M.Div. at Union Theological Seminary in NYC, I wanted to learn about chaplaincy practiced outside of hospital walls. With the guidance of SCI Chaplains, the Rev. Dr. Bill Allport, the Rev. James Kollin, and Chaplain Michelle McWilliams, I experienced firsthand what it means to sit with our seafaring community in their temporary homes and workplaces—and how such encounters can transform us all.
When we sell SIM cards, we're keeping people connected to their loved ones—or helping them unwind with TikTok after a long, stressful day. When we drive them to Jersey Gardens, we're supporting someone in their search for a birthday gift or giving them a chance to stretch their legs after being confined on board for over 40 days. When we ask, "How are you doing?" we might simply be making small talk—or we might become a confidante, helping someone process the recent loss of a spouse.
Maritime chaplaincy is humbling work for two reasons. First, the labor of seafarers is incredibly demanding on every front. It is exhausting, dangerous, and isolating—it can wear you down, body, mind, and soul. Each day I showed up in my hard hat, I was confronted with the stark reality of my own privileges. Second, offering support to seafarers often felt so natural, even easy. It's hard work that feels deeply good and unquestionably right. It's work where the Spirit is fully alive, guiding you toward places, people, and conversations you could never plan for but must encounter. It’s work where we meet one another across cultures, languages, and life stories—and form profound, resonant connections.
SCI is a beautiful place that has shaped and changed me, as it has so many others. I’m forever grateful to be a part of the SCI family.
| | Bringing a Taste of Home to Seafarers | | SCI Chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Bill Allport with crew members of the tanker Stolt Concept. | | |
On May 14, SCI Chaplain the Rev. Dr. Bill Allport was joined by Chaplain Jorfid Landa of the Norwegian Seafarers Church for a visit to the tanker Stolt Concept. Landa brought a thoughtful gift of Norwegian brown cheese, chocolate, and jams for Chief Engineer Renco, a fellow Norwegian. The treats sparked excitement and smiles from Renco and several crew members, offering a heartfelt taste of home.
During the visit, the chaplains were warmly welcomed with coffee and given a tour of the vessel. One highlight was the chief electrician’s creative flair—an engine room tank whimsically adorned with artistic, playful decorations.
| | Chaplain Jorfid Landa, Norwegian Seafarers Church, and Stolt Concept Chief Engineer, Renco. | | SCI Marks 5 Years Supporting SUNY Maritime Cadets at Sea | | From the 2024 SUNY-Maritime Summer Sea Term: SCI President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt (center), with cadets “manning the rails” as the ship prepares to depart Portland for Bermuda. | | |
As part of its enduring mission to serve seafarers and mariners, the Seamen’s Church Institute will mark its fifth consecutive year supporting the cadets and crew for SUNY Maritime College’s Summer Sea Term (SST). This weeks-long training voyage plays a vital role in developing the academy’s future merchant mariners.
SCI first joined the SST in 2021, responding to a request for emotional and mental health support during a challenging cruise shaped by ongoing COVID-19 concerns. Since then, SCI’s trained maritime Chaplains have provided onboard care and support, at first aboard the Empire State VI and, beginning in 2024, aboard the new Empire State VII, the lead vessel in the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) class.
Chaplains are present and accessible to cadets, officers, and crew throughout the voyage, providing consistent support for stress, homesickness, vocational questions, or any personal concerns that may arise. SCI Chaplains provide non-denominational counseling, options for daily support, and when called upon, sometimes lead services and rites such as burials at sea and baptisms—ceremonies that have occurred on past cruises.
The upcoming SUNY-Maritime 2025 Summer Sea Term will be staffed with a team of SCI Chaplains and Chaplain Associates, each assigned to a leg of the voyage. Chaplain Associate the Rev. Charlie Stiernberg, M.D., a deacon from Houston, will take the first leg from Fort Schuyler to New Orleans; Chaplain Geoffrey Davis, SCI’s Chaplain for the Lower Mississippi & Gulf Coast Region, will take the second leg from New Orleans to Ponta Delgada, Azores; Chaplain Associate Jonathan Siger, a Houston-based rabbi, will sail from Ponta Delgada to Bergen, Norway; and Chaplain Associate Joy Manthey, a USCG-licensed captain, will take the final leg from Bergen back to Fort Schuyler, New York.
SCI’s Chaplains are onboard to provide a compassionate presence while the cadets are at sea. Through their ministry and guidance, cadets experience the same holistic support SCI offers mariners across the industry—from blue-water seafarers to river and coastal mariners. “SCI deeply values its continued partnership with SUNY Maritime,” said the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, SCI President and Executive Director. “As the Empire State VII begins its second SST training voyage, our sailing Chaplains will again accompany cadets on their journey, ensuring they are seen, heard, and supported over every mile. We are honored to be part of this formative cadet experience.”
In standing alongside cadets, SCI not only provides meaningful pastoral care but also reinforces awareness of its mission—which is grounded in compassion, dependability, and integrity toward mariners and seafarers—letting cadets know that SCI will also be there when they eventually join the maritime workforce.
| | The T/S EMPIRE STATE VII—Photo: The Rev. Mark Nestlehutt | | |
The Spring 2025 edition of The Lookout is now out. Some of the stories featured include a further introduction to Ministry on the River Supervisory Chaplain, the Rev. Grace Pardun, a discussion about towboat simulator standards with the Center for Maritime Education, a detailed look at how the Center for Mariner Advocacy works to address key challenges facing seafarers today, and more.
You can read the magazine online, or download the PDF.
For more SCI news, please visit: seamenschurch.org/who-we-are/media-and-publications/news/
| | SCI Creates a Safe Space for the World's Mariners | | |
On May 15, 1940, the Battle of the Netherlands ended with Dutch forces surrendering to Nazi Germany. Just six months later, SCI opened its doors at 25 South Street to a new kind of guest: Dutch seafarers without a nation.
The Home for Netherland Seamen opened on November 15, 1940—part club, part refuge—furnished with items from the Heineken restaurant at the 1939 World’s Fair, stocked with Dutch books, newspapers, coffee, and cakes to offer comfort far from home. Similar clubs followed for British, Belgian, Danish, and Swedish sailors—later united postwar as the International Club.
| | |
Engage in the Conversation
If you received this newsletter as a forwarded email from a friend or colleague, or regularly receive our emails and would like a complimentary subscription to our print magazines, please click on the button below to complete an online subscription form.
| | | | |
