Loading...Have you ever wondered if you could pilot a riverboat and barge on the Ohio River? Members of the diocese’s Trustees and Council had a chance learn that firsthand a few years ago when they visited Paducah, and you can have that experience too – if you attend diocesan convention.
The opportunity will come at a wine and cheese reception, hosted by The Seamen’s Church Institute and its executive director, the Rev. David Rider, from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m. (CT) Friday, Feb. 26, at the Center for Maritime Education, 111 Kentucky Ave., in downtown Paducah.
The Seamen’s Church Institute, founded in 1834, is affiliated with the Episcopal Church, although nondenominational in its operations and governance. It was organized to serve mariners, personally, professionally and spiritually. Each year nearly 1,600 seamen are trained through simulator-based facilities located in Houston and Paducah, which was opened in 1997. Many Episcopalians and congregations in the Kentucky know about the Seamen’s Church Institute through its Ministry on the River program and founding chaplain, the Rev. Jim Wilkinson, and many assist with its annual Christmas on the River and Easter on the River gift-giving drives.
At the reception, guests will be able to tour the center and learn about the ministry of the Seamen's institute, its chaplains visiting thousands of vessels annually. The training center's River Pilot Simulators will be open, but a word of warning: at least one council member, proud of his skillful driving, found out that navigating simulated waterways can be … humbling.
More information about the Seamen’s Church Institute and the reception invitation may be found here.
