from Joe McKeever’s blog:
Our pastors were invited to meet today with Global Maritime Ministries, the work founded by John Vandercook in the early 1960s and now being administered by his son Philip. We toured the new Port Ministry Center at 3635 Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans (www.PortMinistry.com) and learned of the incredible “foreign missions” Philip’s team is accomplishing every day of their lives as they reach out to the crews of the hundreds of international ships arriving at the Port of New Orleans each year.
“How did this work get started?” I asked the now-retired Rev. John Vandercook. “Was there a moment you look to as ‘the’ time God started this work?”
Brother John was pastoring the Third Street Baptist Church in those days, a small church not far from the docks. One Sunday afternoon he had walked down to the docks – it was all open then; anyone could walk down to the river, as opposed to the high security now – and was watching a huge ship dock. As the vessel maneuvered into place, John became aware of a man onboard who was watching him. When the gangway was lowered, the man was the first one off. He approached Pastor Vandercook and speaking with a strong Dutch accent called out, “Sir, my friends and I are Christians. Can you tell me where we can go to church this evening?”
They attended Third Street Church that Sunday and many Sundays afterwards. The ship was hauling in bananas and arrived on schedule each week. That was the start.
Veteran pastor Dick Randels said, “It’s worth noting that at that time, no Southern Baptists had any port ministries anywhere. This was the first; it’s the original.” “How many are there now?” I asked. Philip said, “Twenty or more.”