MLC: Mixed blessings for seafarers
by Carolyn Graham, PhD and Captain Kunal Narayan, MSc The International Labour Organization (ILO) is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2019, and with good reason. Like a storm-tossed ship, it has weathered many internal and external adversities, some so great that its
Book Review: Into the Raging Sea
Rachel Slade, Into the Raging Sea: Thirty-Three Mariners, One Megastorm and the Sinking of El Faro. Ecco, 2018. On October 1, 2015, Hurricane Joaquin brought down the El Faro along with every member of its 33-person crew. Boston-based journalist Rachel Slade’s
Finding Fulfillment in Chaplaincy
By Susan Huppert, NAMMA Transitions can be a navigational challenge. But for these newly established chaplains finding fulfillment in a new role proves to be profitable. Three professionals who shifted from their previous positions to the world of serving seafarers discuss how
Tampa Meeting Explores Partnerships to Support Seafarers’ Welfare
From March 5-6 in Tampa, Florida, NAMMA partnered with the International Port Welfare Partnership (IPWP) project for a seminar on developing port welfare committees to support seafarers' welfare. More than 35 individuals participated in the seminar, with representatives especially from
Book Review: Learning about bravery from survival at sea
Louise Beech, How To Be Brave. London: Orenda Books Press, 2015. 370 pp. This book is a tapestry of two stories compassionately woven together by Louise Beech. The narrative combines the present-day story of Natalie, a mother coping with her young daughter’s
Building Bridges: Conference Summary
MARITIME MINISTRIES TRAINING CONFERENCE The Apostleship of the Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, and other Ecumenical Partners held at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, 11 -14th February 2019 BUILDING BRIDGES: CONFERENCE SUMMARY by Mr. Graham Miller, Manager, The Mission to Seafarers Townsville, Australia When I
Burns Harbor ministry gets “Gofundme” upgrade
Committed to his church and seafarers, Chaplain Marshal Bundren continued to pull alongside ships on the South shore of Lake Michigan in his 15-passenger rust bucket until December. That’s when things took a surprising turn. Reed Wilson, second officer aboard the
Lifeboats – a last resort?
When the Titanic collided with an iceberg twenty minutes before midnight on April fourteenth, 1912 the world became aware of the importance of the humble ship’s lifeboat. Many of the passengers and crew could not escape the sinking ship and
Growing in Service at the Houston School 2019
On the week of January 27, chaplains, ship visitors, center administrators, and others involved in maritime ministry from all over the world convened on the Houston International Seafarers’ Center (HISC) to take a NAMMA-led course on serving seafarers. Students of
The Importance of Partnerships for Seafarers Wellbeing
Presentation of ICMA General Secretary Jason Zuidema at the ISWAN Seminar Helsinki, Finland, November 23, 2018. A Story In early 1963, former seafarer and businessman Albert Liedts told members of the Houston Propeller Club that the Port of Houston was