Practical Ecumenical Cooperation amongst Organizations Providing Port Chaplaincy

Abstract

Abstract Caring for seafarers is a global collaborative effort between individuals working for organizations affiliated with secular and religious charities. Chapter 7 examines the ways that the charitable organizations supporting port chaplaincy have embraced ecumenism and ecumenical working practices and the consequences of this for the day-to-day work of port chaplains. A major initiative that has been taken by cash strapped charities has been to combine resources and co-locate service provision. Although working from the same building is economically efficient it has sometimes given rise to tensions between members of different welfare charities, which may be associated with individual personalities and also differing theologies. This chapter focuses on commonalities and differences between welfare workers from different organizations and how these play out in relation to the day-to-day work of port chaplains and the support that they provide to seafarers.