Ministering To Mariners: Inside The Seamen’s Church Institute

Right now, across the waters of the world, massive cargo ships are floating from Hong Kong to Houston, from Marseille to Newark, from San Diego to Seoul.

The ships carry everything from bananas to coal to toothbrushes. Some estimates claim that 90% of all goods purchased in the U.S. spent some time on the sea.

And if 90% of all goods spent some period of time on the sea, then 90% of all goods were handled by mariners. Nearly 200 years ago, the Seamen's Church Institute set out to serve these mariners. They are still doing so today.

Six representatives from The Seamen's Church Institute told Religion Unplugged what they do for mariner advocacy, education, and spiritual wellness.

Mariners help provide vital resources to the American people. Millions of Americans are fed because of food shipped from overseas and millions of Americans stay alive because of medical equipment shipped from overseas.

But for how vital they are for the life of the average American, the isolating lifestyle can take quite a toll on mariners.

One study published in Sage Journals found that 30% of mariners studied exhibited signs of depression. Furthermore, a report by the World Maritime University found that up to 7.7% of seafarer deaths are confirmed suicides.

Mariners also face many physical dangers, with the CDC saying, “Maritime industries have a higher fatality rate and risk of injury and illness than the national average for all workplaces.” The combination of heavy machinery, natural disasters, and limited health resources have made seafaring a sometimes-deadly occupation.

The Seamen's Church Institute has worked hard to make sure that the men and women who are responsible for making so many Americans comfortable and healthy, are not only recognized, but actively cared for.

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