About Us
Albany Maritime Ministry is an ecumenical association who minister to the spiritual, family and practical needs of seafarers in the Albany Capital District. With two chaplains, sponsored by Seaferer's International House, NYC, and committed volunteers, we currently serve about 3000 seafarers on 100 vessels every year. These numbers are expected to grow as aggressive economic efforts seek to expand volume in the Port of Albany, Port of Coeymans, and private terminals along the river.
Albany Maritime Ministry was incorporated in 1996 as a non-profit Federal 501(C)(3) organization under the laws of New York State. We work closely with regional churches, businesses, and city, state and federal agencies.
Our seafarer center is located at the Port of Albany. The center provides a welcome sanctuary for those who have spent months at sea. It was built in 2014 and dedicated to Reverend William G. Hempel, our beloved chaplain and director from 1995 until his death in 2018.
Chaplains
Rev. D. Lowell Chilton, Pastor of First Lutheran Church, Albany, NY
Rev. Kate Drefke, Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Troy, NY, and Evangelical Lutheran Church of Poestenkill, Poestenkill, NY
For most of our history, the Albany Maritime Ministry was an all-volunteer organization. In late 2022, we formed an affiliation with Seafarer's International House, NYC to suppport bringing Kate and Lowell on-board as chaplains. Kate and Lowell joined us just before Christmas in 2022 and started climbing the gangways immediately.
Board Members
Rev. David Preisinger, Chair
Diane Kingston, Secretary
Loren Place, Treasurer
Shalyn Docous
Richard Walker
Whom We Serve
We serve just about anyone with water under them, including merchant marines, fisherman, tug and barge crews, and "yachties" (crew on smaller, non-commercial vessels).
Most of our guests are employed as merchant marines and crew members throughout the world. They are part of a global network of over a million seafarers who transport 95% of our material goods by way of sea, forming the backbone of our global economy.
It is unfortunate that maritime labor entails great stress for the workers and their families. Seafarers are away from home for 9-10 months at a time. They labor seven days a week in an occupation that is ranked among the world’s most dangerous according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Fisherman and Transport Works, 2013). The work is isolating, nearly invisible to the public, subject to dangerous weather and piracy, and occasionally subjected to human rights violations. The physical, emotional and spiritual effects can be devastating. Even so, most seafarers come from developing nations with low per capita incomes. Their average monthly salary is equivalent to a mere $356 in United States currency, as estimated by the International Transport Workers’ Federation.