The Seamen’s Church Institute

Bishop Matthew Heyd serves as Honorary Chairman of the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI), the largest and most comprehensive mariner’s service agency in North America. For more than a century, SCI has been dedicated to championing the mariner, the people whose work keeps the world’s trade and travel moving.

At the busy Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest on the East Coast, SCI chaplains and staff visit ships daily, offering pastoral care, hospitality, and free transportation for seafarers far from home. Each year, more than 10,000 seafarers are welcomed on board by SCI chaplains, and over 25,000 visit SCI’s award-winning International Seafarers’ Center.

Beyond the coast, SCI’s ministry extends to America’s inland rivers and waterways. With chaplains on call 24/7, SCI responds to critical incidents, supports mariners’ mental health, and brings comfort during times of stress or loss. SCI also equips captains and pilots through advanced maritime education at its campuses in Houston and Paducah, where state-of-the-art simulators train thousands each year.

Through its Center for Mariner Advocacy in New Orleans, SCI protects the rights and dignity of mariners worldwide, addressing issues such as shore leave, piracy, abandonment, and occupational health.

At its heart, SCI is guided by compassion, dependability, and integrity. As they often say: The world depends on mariners. Mariners depend on SCI. And SCI depends on you.

For more information, visit seamenschurch.org