Charleston has a venerable history dating back to 1821 when the original Charleston Port Society was organized, providing a Seafarers Chapel located at 50 Church Street. This chapel was destroyed in the Great Charleston Earthquake of 1886. A second initiative was subsequently made possible by Harriot Pinckney, daughter of General Cotesworth Pinckney, who provided for a trust that would in time provide a Chapel and home for seafarers located on the Corner of East Bay and Market Street. The Seamen’s Church was built in 1916 and provided a vibrant ministry for some fifty years. The Chapel and dormitory were sold in the 1960’s because three mast sailing ships had given way to giant containerships with relatively small crews (20-25) who are only in port for 8-10 hours and the ministry had to be taken to them. Charleston’s Seafarers’ Ministry (CSM) consists of two organizations: The Charleston Port and Seafarers’ Society (ChaPSS) and the International Seafarers Ministry (ISM). Both are non-profit 501C3 ecumenical, organizations that exist for the purpose of welcoming and serving the needs of those men and women who make their livelihood in the port or at sea, without regard for ethnicity, politics or religion. Last year, services were provided by ChaPSS to over 16000 seafarers from 50 different countries at the Wando Center. The Wando Seafarers Center is staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers directed by Chaplain, Fr. As a result of the generous donations of our sponsors, a larger center replaced the first Wando Center and was dedicated in May of 2011. A second ChaPSS Center opened in 2009 at the Columbus St. Terminal and a third center served by ISM is in place at North Charleston as of the Spring 2011. Our volunteers are responsible for boarding ships as they arrive, meeting and praying with individual crewmen as needed, working out transportation schedules, assisting seafarers with internet and SKYPE and some also serve as drivers for our passenger buses.
