GONZALES SEAFARER’S MINISTRY
2008-09 ANNUAL REPORT
Sylvester Wilson, Director

God’s sovereign grace brings “the ends of the earth” to us!

Arriving at our local Mississippi River ports, giant merchant ships circumnavigate our planet and bring crews of international seafarers to dock here at our local Mississippi River ports! The Gonzales Seafarer Ministry utilizes this awesome Sovereign provision of God to reach “the ends of the earth,” needing only to travel, at most, 30 miles or about one hour, to minister and witness to those weary world travelers from “the ends of the earth” that need Christ!

LEADERSHIP
 

LOOKING BACK, AROUND, AND FORWARD!

• A simplified picture, in terms of routine day-by-day ministry motivation, behaviors, and activities:

• 2007-2008 – Leadership was TASK-DRIVEN. Brother Pat Caudill retired at the end of 2007. Beginning directorship January 2008, my focus was simply to follow in the faithful footsteps of Brother Pat and my other faithful predecessors. Thus, to just do seafarer ministry tasks according to their honorable examples was my prime objective.
• 2008-2009 – Leadership has been PROJECT-DRIVEN. Although designed for and achieving some “continuous improvement” gains, there now must be a radical shift wherein all remaining projects are prayerfully redesigned, postponed, or jettisoned until the proper of resources are available. Those resources are: Holy Spirit-power, “open doors,” stewardship, and volunteer man-power. We must continue praying for each resource!
• 2009-2010 – Leadership, henceforth, must be RESOURCE-DRIVEN. What this ministry does – how it behaves – pursues its mission – in response to daily circumstances, spontaneous events, external agency regulations, and overall trends must be governed by God’s sovereign provision and grace in the power of Christ (2 Cor. 12:9).

·         Personally, it is a constant joy being a team-player in this ministry to seafarers with assistant director, Rev. Michael A. Hamilton. We are always strategizing and doing things that benefit each other’s individual ministry efforts and personal well-being. It’s a kind of ministry to one another all its own! In short, that’s Christian “Brotherhood!”

MISSION
 

• We all depend on a multitude of products and materials ships haul across God's oceans, seas, and water ways. Ships' crews around the world are daily engaged in one of the world's most hazardous professions. To do their work, they sacrifice huge amounts of what we call “normal life.” Prolonged separation from family and native communities is their most intense hardship. There are over a million merchant seafarers employed on board ships. Countless thousands come to our shores. Contracted to work at sea for perhaps 6 to 10 months at a time, thousands have and continue to visit the Gonzales Seafarer Center. These men and women represent the great diversity of the world's nations and world religions. Some have no faith background. It is endlessly intriguing to note that the first disciples Jesus called were people who made their living on the sea.
   
• In view of Christ's admonition in Matthew 25: 31-46, the Gonzales Seafarer Center is motivated to care for the needs of seafarers who are often without life's necessities and personal freedoms (which we take for granted). This is why so many ministry volunteers and donors graciously “empty themselves” so that seafarers can have some of their physical and spiritual needs met. They see the love of Christ in the lives and actions of Christian volunteers, donors, and ministry workers.

SCOPE AND ACTIVITIES
 

• Needs Met:
  • Bibles (foreign languages and English)
  • Chapel Services
  • International phone calls
  • Toiletry items (Ditty Bags)
  • Postage and mailing
  • Western Union or Money Gram procedures
  • Instruction on internet computer use; email, and messaging
  • Counseling and prayer
  • Snacks and drinks
  • Hot meals
  • Friendly conversations; personal concerns addressed
  • Brought cell phones and phone cards aboard ship

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MILEPOSTS
 

• Maintained list of ministry Prayer Points
• Ministry renamed to “Gonzales Seafarer Center”
• Maintained relationships with existing volunteers and supporters
• Built relationships with new supporters
• Developed new relationships with port officials and port workers
• Maintained collaborative partnerships with regional network of Port Chaplains
• Diversity training (with BAGBR staff)
• Transportation Safety and Risk Management Plan near completion
• International Critical Incident Stress Foundation membership renewal (ministry director)
• Port Ministries International Network membership renewal
• North American Maritime Ministries Assoc. Directory 2009 lists Gonzales Seafarer Center
• International Committee on Seafarers’ Welfare Mini-Directory lists Gonzales Seafarer Center
• Successful “test sales” of high-demand GoldOro Int’l phone cards; T-Mobile SIM and Refill cards
• Volunteer training resources finalized
• Two very motivated volunteers began working at the Seafarer Center
• Building security system installed and in daily operation
• Commitment to respond to calls from Port of Greater Baton Rouge
• Distributed Gonzales Seafarer Center brochures at Port of Greater Baton Rouge
• Three highly-requested internet web cams operational (Mike Hamilton project)
• Hosted special interest group tours at the Center
• Hosted youth mission group tours at the Center
• No-cost routine use of a maritime association’s ship tracking program
• Interior redecorating project underway by local women’s missions group
• Began drafting “2010-2014 Five Year Plan” for the Gonzales Seafarer Ministry
• Homeland Security TWIC card received (ministry director)
• Ministry successfully operated under reduced budget
• Ministry promoted at three local church missions groups
• Ministry promoted at four BAGBR regional pastor’s conferences
• Successfully completed TWIC ESCORT training (ministry director)
• Mass-duplication, by publisher’s permission, of “Who is He?” mini-CDs (Mike Hamilton initiative)
• New commitment to volunteer-based “ship visiting” ministry strategy
• Highly-requested wireless PC network operational (Mike Hamilton project)
• Commenced seafarer photos digital archiving project (initiated by Pat and Dianne Caudill)

• Commitment to implement volunteer-based landscaping projects (2009-2010)
• Migrating to electronic bookkeeping, inventory control, report generation, donor acknowledgements
• Mutual benefit arrangement: our service to international seafarers info brochure, in-field placement by a government security agent
• Assisted BAGBR decision-making process for future mission of Baton Rouge area port ministry

GOALS AND ACTION ITEMS (2009 - 2010)

• Seafarer Ministry Prayer Coordinator and prayer teams
• Church-based volunteer coordinators and volunteer schedule calendar
• Ship Welfare Visitors training and ID cards for Baton Rouge-Gonzales area volunteers
• TWIC cards for Baton Rouge-Gonzales area volunteers
• TWIC ESCORT training for ship-visiting volunteers
• Monitor Vehicle Safety and Risk Management Policies and Procedures
• BAGBR Seafarer Ministry website

REQUEST
Pray for the Seafarer Ministry earnestly and often. Seek God for ways to help us to faithfully minister to the needs of seafarers with (1 Cor. 2:2; John 6:37). For more information or to volunteer, call 225-647-1617 or 225-296-3943. Thank you for your continued support.

STATISTICAL DATA OF GONZALES SEAFARER CENTER