Felixstowe Port Chaplain Celebrates 30 Years Service
Sailors’ Society Port Chaplain Reverend Ken Martin looks back on 30 years of ministry to seafarers across the world.
Looking back on his 30 years ministry with the Sailors’ Society, Felixstowe Port Chaplain Reverend Ken Martin says he has loved every second of his challenging and rewarding work offering practical and spiritual support to seafarers across the globe. A former seafarer himself, Reverend Martin knows just how vital a lifeline this support can be for seafarers whose work leaves them isolated and away from their loved ones for months at a time. Throughout his career, Reverend Martin has worked at such far flung ports as Kingston in Jamaica and Antwerp in Belgium, where his son was born.He now works at the busy port of Felixstowe. Talking about his role with the Sailors’ Society, he says he still enjoys the chance to meet people from all over the globe, and loves the sense of being able to help. When asked about the changes he’s seen over the past 30 years, Ken said: “The biggest change has been the amount of time seafarers get ashore for respite. It used to be that a large container ship would dock for a couple of days, which would give seafarers plenty of time to reach one of our seafarer centres and seek advice and support, call home or just spend some time away from the ship. These days, it’s much more common that a ship will dock for only 24 hours, and this makes the work the Sailors’ Society does even more vital.” Sailors’ Society Principal Chaplain, Reverend David Potterton, said: “Many seafarers have welcomed Ken at the top of the gangway as a stranger, but in no time at all he soon becomes their friend. With the support of his wife, Doreen, and son, James, I am sure Ken will continue to do what he does best, putting seafarers’ needs first.” Despite 30 years of service with the charity, Ken has no plans for retirement and aims to remain with his ministry and continue to be a trusted and loyal friend to thousands of who dock at the port of Felixstowe. To find out more about the Sailors’ Society, visit www.sailors-society.org or follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/SailorsSociety. Ends Words: 310
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