Churches offer Christmas cheer to river-bound seamen Dec. 20, 2004
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River pilot Mark Holman is just one of the 7,000 seamen served by the River Friendly Churches. |
A UMNS Web only image
River pilot Mark Holman is just one of the 7,000 seamen served by the River Friendly Churches. |
A UMNS Feature
By Jan Snider* While
many will be hearing jingle bells on Christmas Day, thousands of
mariners will hear the lonely churning of murky waters instead. During
the holiday, river crews will travel America’s inland waterways from
Pittsburgh to New Orleans and the gulf region near Houston. "It’s
a different life; not everybody can do it," says river pilot Mark
Holman. "We’re moving a lot of product up and down the river that people
use in their everyday lives." Holman is part of a network of towboat crews that haul everything from coal to corn. "We feed America and we fuel America." The
job doesn’t stop on Christmas Day. In fact, most crewmen work a month
at a time, then take 15 days off. So a confederation of River Friendly
Churches exists to help the crewmembers share in a little holiday
spirit. More than 100 churches in 11 states participate in the Seamen’s
Church Institute, a year-round ministry. "It
feels good to give to somebody who won’t be home for Christmas," says
Kate Johnston, a parishioner with the Broadway United Methodist Church
in Paducah, Ky. The
church has packed boxes of hand-knitted scarves, Christmas treats and
warm clothing. Last year, River Friendly Churches distributed nearly 900
boxes to almost 7,000 seamen during the holiday season. "Not
only do we wrap them in warmth, we really wrap them in God’s love, and
it makes a huge difference to them," says Ann Mills, coordinator of
special projects for "Ministry on the River." One
seaman recently had a baby daughter and will be on the river during her
first Christmas. "This one will be especially tough for me," he
explains. When a package arrives on his ship from Broadway United
Methodist, it will be full of items intended to make the separation less
painful. Christmas cards from the children of the church never fail to
get a smile. As
Holman pilots the boat, he reflects that a seaman’s work is often
forgotten because it is so isolated from the rest of the town. "It lifts
our spirits on Christmas Day that there’s actually somebody out there
that cares for what we’re doing, respects what we’re doing and
understands what we’re doing." Sheila
Cook prepares meals for the men on one of the many vessels that weave
up and down the inland waterways. "We were at Paducah, Ky., taking on
fuel and food stores when the first box came on," she writes in a note
to the ministry. "I got such a kick watching the deck crew open the box
and dig through it, each one trying to find just the right color of
scarf they wanted. For a brief moment, it was like children on Christmas
morning tearing open presents." Cook, who tucked in a donation to the ministry, adds, "Thank you for giving us a smile and thinking of us." Christmas
boxes are a small gesture compared to the expanse of the year-round
ministry. Because seamen are always on the water, the churches step in
to help with the families back on shore. "You need someone to share with
you, to say, ‘hang in there,’" Mills explains. Those involved in the
ministry celebrate when babies are born or ships are christened. They
also grieve as they sit by hospital beds or call and offer comforting
words. The
Ministry on the River is a huge undertaking. "We have people who don’t
live anywhere near water support us. We have river-friendly churches in
San Angelo, Texas, for example, that support us," Mills says. The
ministry teams up with river-industry companies and churches that have
had to adapt to heightened security measures. With the added complexity,
the planning for delivering the Christmas packages begins in July. While
parishioners at Broadway United Methodist aren’t able to witness the
seamen opening the packages, they know their gestures are not forgotten.
"A few
years ago, my husband spent a long lonely Christmas on a boat in your
area," writes one mariner’s spouse. "The work was hard, and the weather
was brutal and icy. The gifts you brought warmed his heart and brought
some light into his cold, lonely world." *Snider is a freelance producer for United Methodist News Service in Nashville, Tenn. News media contact: Fran Coode Walsh, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5458 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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