SCI Receives $500,000 Grant For Ministry On The River

The Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI) has received a $500,000 grant from the Ray & Kay Eckstein Charitable Trust to strengthen and expand its Ministry on the River (MOR) program.

The two-year initiative, titled Ministry on the River: Renewal, Reflection and Reach, will support SCI’s chaplaincy team and expand its network of chaplain associates serving mariners on the nation’s inland waterways.

The funding is part of SCI’s strategic plan and will support continuing education, professional development and peer support for its chaplains, as well as expanded training and onboarding for chaplain associates.

“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 SCI. “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.”

For nearly three decades, MOR has served inland mariners, shoreside personnel and their families. SCI chaplains visit mariners aboard vessels, at docks and terminals, during crew changes and in communities supporting the inland maritime industry.

Through vessel visits, confidential conversations, crisis response and fellowship, chaplains provide support to mariners who can spend extended periods away from their families.

A portion of the grant will fund continuing education and professional development programs focused on maritime chaplaincy. Online training modules will provide chaplains and chaplain associates with specialized knowledge and skills related to supporting mariners and responding to the challenges of life and work on the waterways.

SCI also will establish reflective practice groups, giving chaplains opportunities to discuss experiences, share approaches to challenging situations and develop peer mentoring relationships.

The initiative will strengthen the onboarding and training of SCI’s non-stipendiary chaplain associates, who extend MOR’s reach throughout inland waterway communities and shorelines.

According to SCI, the goal is to develop a network capable of providing support within a two-hour drive of any inland mariner in need. The enhanced training will give chaplain associates the resources and preparation needed to serve as part of SCI’s broader chaplaincy network.

The grant is expected to strengthen SCI’s ability to provide pastoral care and crisis support to mariners while expanding its chaplaincy network across the inland waterways.