Welcome to the
NAMMA website
 NAMMA is an ecumenical, Christian association of individuals and organizations involved in maritime ministry throughout North America, including the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Founded in 1932 as the National Group of Seamen’s Agencies, it was renamed NAMMA in 1991. Its mission is to provide a framework to support and assist port chaplains and others in their ministry to the spiritual, moral, human rights, and physical concerns of mariners and all others in the maritime community.
NAMMA helps equip port chaplains with the resources needed to carry on their ministry. It acts as a consultant and coordinator for services and training, as well as providing standards for these services.
NAMMA includes many ministries from a wide variety of denominations, as well as the maritime ministries of North America: Apostleship of the Sea (Roman Catholic), The Mission to Seafarers (Episcopal and Anglican). NAMMA's members include 41 major maritime ministry agencies and approximately 150 member chaplains.
Seamen SOS
Help for seafarers.
 NAMMA Notes
Every week or so you can read the latest news about ministry to seafarers. Click here to send us a request to get these informative emails.
 2010, The International Year of the Seafarer
Click here to read Henry J. Holcomb's story about a father and daughter re-united at Christmas thanks to the efforts of the Seaman's Church Institute of Philadelphia-Camden. This is a good example of how professional writing can help publicize ministry.
 Template for the ICMA Online Directory
Click here to see the ICMA Online Directory template. (Please fill it out ONLY for agencies, not individual chaplains.) Send it to Rev. Hennie La Grange after filling it out. Click here for his contact information.
 Membership
Click here to see the membership form for 2011 in PDF format. Use it to renew your membership now! Simply print it out and mail it in with your check. All memberships end as of December 31 of each year (except for Lifetime members). Memberships can be paid at any time during the year, but please pay as soon as possible. Only those with memberships paid in full
by March 31 can vote at the plenary sessions of NAMMA.
 A Helping Hand Along The Docks
Click here to read Linda Loyd's Oct. 19 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the Seaman's Church Institute. 40,000 seafarers a year visit the Philadelphia and Camden ports, but few get ashore. Newspapers and other media can be powerful allies in publicizing ministry.
 Two Presentations by NAMMA 2009 Conference Keynote Speaker: R. Robert Creech, Ph.D.
Transformed by Relationships: With Christ and His Community
Transformed by Relationships: With Christ and His Mission
 Chaplains and Ship Visitors need TWIC training
Click here to see what one escort training program looks like and learn why one is needed in your port.
Click here to see a 22-slide PowerPoint presentation explaining Transportation Worker
Identification Credentials.
 NAMMA Conference 2007 Keynote Address
"God lives and loves on ships. I know this. I have learnt from faith and experience to expect this. I am neither shocked nor frightened by it. But I am ceaselessly in awe."
Click here to read more.
 Seamens Church Institute video
"Wading in the Waters: an introduction to the issue of piracy and how it affects seafarers.
 Results of Seafarers 2010, Gulf Coast Regional Conference on Seafarer Welfare Issues, March 2010,
Houston, Texas
Piracy Petition Presented
 At World Maritime Day celebrations, a petition signed by more than a million persons, calling for an end to piracy, was handed over to the secretary general of the International Maritime Organization. At the handing over ceremony, ISF president Spyros Polemis explained that the inter-industry petition was organised by 17 different shipping bodies. They included BIMCO, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO, ICS, ISF, IPTA, IMEC, InterManager, SIGTTO, IUMI, IFSMA and the IG of P&I Clubs, as well as ASF, ECSA, ICMA and ICSW. These were in addition to the ITF, who coordinated the petition.
Since the crisis began in 2008, over 1,500 seafarers have so far been taken hostage by Somali pirates, often for months at a time and in truly awful conditions - a situation which is simply unacceptable. Our primary concern is humanitarian. As the number of pirates continues to increase in the knowledge they can act with virtual impunity, what kind of signal will be given if a large section of the Indian Ocean is closed to the movement of global trade, some 90% of which is carried by sea?
 The International Committee on Seafarers' Welfare (ICSW) launches the first International Seafarers' Welfare Awards.
The awards will recognize shipping companies, ports, welfare organizations and individuals who provide exceptional welfare facilities and services to seafarers on land or at sea. They will be presented by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General, Admiral Efthimios Mitropoulos, at an event in London on 1 December 2010. Click here to learn more about the ICSW International Seafarer's Welfare Awards.
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2011 WORLD MARITIME DAY VIDEOS
- Introduction by Clay Maitland, Master of Ceremonies and VADM Brian Salerno, USCG, Conference Chair
- Piracy: What Are We Facing? Identifying the Challenges and Issues. A Legal Framework by John Kimball, Blank Rome LLP. Guarding Against Piracy by Kevin Doherty, Nexus Consulting. The Seafarer's Experience with Piracy by Roberto Giorgi, V.Ships. Experiencing Piracy, What Shipowners Need by Joe Cox, Chamber of Shipping of America. Save our Seafarers - The Movie by Carleen Lynden-Klauss, NAMEPA.
- Addressing The Way Forward. Solutions to Piracy Dr. Martin Murphy, Author. What Governments Can Offer: Cooperation of States and Regions by Tom Kelly, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, US State Department. Compliance Through Awareness and Access by Owen J.Doherty, MARAD. On The Waterfront - The Navy's Advice for Industry by RADM Kevin M. Donegan, US Central Command Director of Operations, United States Navy.
- Seminar Chairman Welcome and Overview by
Master of Ceremonies: Captain Kevin Kiefer , and Seminar Chairman: RADM Paul Zukunft.
- Stewardship Seminar. Enforcing Environmental Regulations, Captain Steven Poulin, USCG. Role Of The NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), Clay Maitland, NAMEPA. Prevention and Response, Ray Botto, SeaRiver/Exxon Mobil.
- Security Seminar. Global Supply Chain Security, U.S. Policies and Initiatives, Sean Moon, Department of Homeland Security. Supply Chain Security at Area Port of Tampa, Jay Todras, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Border Protection, Mr. Fulvio Fracassi, Director General of Marine Security, Transport Canada. Balancing Commerce and Security, Rob Lorigan, Overseas Shipholding Group. Impact on Seafarers, The Rev. James Von Dreele, NAMMA (North American Maritime Ministry Association).
- Safety Seminar. Ensuring Safety, Harry Vordokas, Germanischer Lloyd. On Board Safety For Passengers and Crew, Richard Pruitt, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, RCCL. Caring For The Crew,Christina DeSimone, Future Care. Embedding A Risk Management Culture, Dr. Martha Grabowski, Rensslaer Polytechnic Institute and Le Moyne College.
- Conference Wrap Up, RADM Paul Zukunft, USCG
 Membership
Updated: NAMMA Membership Directory, updated as of July 7, 2011.
Click here to see the membership form for 2011 in PDF format. Use it to renew your membership now! Simply print it out and mail it in with your check.
 International Seafarer Family Convention, August 4-5, 2011
This convention takes place in Manila and should be of particular interest to Filipino seafarers and their families.
 Houston Maritime Ministry Training Program, Feb. 5-16, 2012
Click here to see the application and general information about this maritime training program in Houston, Texas. Only 12 students will be admitted. They prefer candidates with at least one-year experience working in maritime ministry.
 NAMMAC 2011 Presentations
Keynote address from our 2011 conference by Herbert Anderson, Ph.D., "Caring for the Caregivers," as well as the slides from Mae Saephan's presentation about self-care for chaplains.
Video: Safeguarding Maritime Gateways
Jim Von Dreele and other panel members discussed "Safeguarding the Nation's Maritime Gateways" in June, 2011 in Houston, Texas. Jim says, "Scroll down (or to the right) to minute 80+ for the comments and there are some interesting observations by Sinclair Oubre and myself." Please note: The enitre clip is about 100 minutes long so you may want to be selective if you don't have 100 minutes to spare!
Where the rubber hits the road in port ministry
Before retiring from his service as NAMMA's executive director, Lloyd Burghart encourages those in port ministry to pursue righteousness, a word with many meanings.
SEAFARERS ACCESS SURVEY
We need your input! Whether a NAMMA member or not, please respond to this; the results can benefit seafarers as well as potentially your mission.
Seafarer Shore Leave Access Implementation Issues under TWIC
Click here to read "Seafarer Shore Leave Access Implementation Issue under TWIC" by Jim Von Dreele and Mary Davisson, written in March 2011.
Calendar
- June 25, ICMA's International Day of the Seafarer.
- June 27-30, NAMMAC 2011, Waterfront Hotel, Oakland, California.
- August 19-23, ICMA World Conference, Hamburg,Germany.
- September 11-15, AAPA, Seattle, WA
- October 27, World Maritime Day Observance, Tampa, FL.
- November 9, Annual Meeting with NAMMA's Industry Advisory Council.
 Professional Mariners and Quality Seafarers
Attracting and Retaining Quality Seafarers In the Year of the Seafarer – 2010 -- “Calling for Seafarers to become Professional Mariners, Not Members of a Monastic Community” -- a speech given by the Rev. Canon James Von Dreele at World Maritime Day events in Vancouver, BC, held on November 18, 2010.
 Report on Port-Based Welfare Workers
This report was funded by the ITF and has important implications and information about how seafarer welfare chaplains and agencies work world-wide.
US Coast Guard Act
 On Friday, October 15, President Obama signed the Coast Guard Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 into law. A key provision of law is intended to improve access through terminals for seafarers, chaplains, and other designated persons. The law improves maritime safety, improves living conditions for Coast Guard members, assists the ongoing replacement of the Coast Guard's fleet and strengthens maritime and port security.
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