A Century of Care in Singapore

Back in 1926, the widow of a harbour pilot made a donation to support the Mission’s first chaplain in Singapore, helping launch a ministry that has supported generations of seafarers over the past 100 years.

In July, we celebrated the centenary of The Mission to Seafarers Singapore (MtSS) with a special dinner, bringing together committee members, industry leaders and Mission representatives from around the world.

As Lars Kastrup, Chairman of the MtSS Management Committee and CEO of Pacific International Lines, reflected, “Singapore’s seafarers keep global trade moving, often at real personal cost, and it is our duty to make sure they are not forgotten.”

A history of change
Within a year of the first chaplain’s appointment, additional funding helped establish our first centre on Anson Road. Over the following decades came further relocations, a pause in services during World War Two, and the opening of our centre on River Valley Road by HRH The Princess Royal in 1983.

Over the years, we have worked to bring our support closer to seafarers, making it easier for them to access the care and hospitality we provide, including through the recently reopened seafarers’ lounge at Jurong Port.

Striving for more
Today, around 140,000 vessels pass through Singapore’s waters each year, bringing millions of seafarers into the path of the Mission. We’re connecting with around 20,000, but want to reach many more.

That’s why we’ve launched the Centenary Appeal, aiming to raise $950,000 to expand ship visiting and anchorage outreach, so no seafarer misses out simply because they can’t get ashore.

As Jan Webber, Director of Development, says, “A century ago, this Mission began with one chaplain and a simple promise: that no seafarer arriving in Singapore would be forgotten. That promise still guides everything we do.”

Support the MtSS Centenary Appeal
For more information on how you can support the appeal, please visit: support.missiontoseafarers.org/singapore