Derek Prince Ministries’ mission to reach the unreached and teach the untaught extends beyond the land, reaching even those at sea. Derek Prince Ministries UK, for instance, has a longstanding partnership with Mike Burleigh, the Port Chaplain for Seafarers’ Christian Friend Society (SCFS) in Port Montrose on the northeast coast of Scotland.
The SCFS Ministry offers Filipino seafarers a strategy to help them deal with the concerns of: “How can I help my wife raise a family when I’m away from home so many months?” They provide Bibles and study resources, encouraging regular Christ-centred reading, while also offering conversation and prayer.
Mike shared, “The Holy Spirit tells me that a way forward is for me to use Bible study to help them develop their English skills. Most Filipinos, for instance, admit preferring speaking Tagalog to English even when home with their children whose school lessons are taught in English.”
Reaching Seafarers
In a recent report, Mike shared that they visit many ships with Russian and Filipino crew. Derek Prince Ministries supports Mike in his ministry and recently gifted him more copies of Self Study Bible Course books in different languages, including Russian, Arabic, Turkish and Portuguese.
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Mike explained, “Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine shipping agents are more often commissioning trade from Mediterranean and North African countries which now brings us ships with Indian (Hindi), Arabic and Turkish crews, hence the need for these requested languages.”
Although there are many resources available online, the crew is dependent on shipowners providing them with free Wi-Fi, which at sea cannot always be depended upon. And that's why Mike values and appreciates being able to use Derek’s Self Study Bible Course.
Sowing the Word
Mike explains that his chaplaincy primarily involves 'sowing' God’s Word, as cargo ships typically have short turnaround times, with crew members often busy and on duty. Recently, however, Mike was encouraged by a photo he received on WhatsApp.
“The photo showed a master on one of the ships, preaching to his Filipino crew while their ship motored into the Skagerrak. He was preaching from the Picture Study Bible I had given one of his men. This was the first time in his career at sea that he had held a ’Sunday Service’. This master has now requested more Bible study materials.”
Mike is a retired teacher whose career focused on working with students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). On retirement, he moved to Aberdeenshire to work with his son developing a canoe building business. From 2015-2023, he volunteered with the Sailors’ Society as the Port Chaplain in Montrose. In 2024 Mike joined SCFS, and he and his wife Lydia continue to visit with the seafarers.
