By Lloyd Mackey

One of the Mission Boat short term mission terms.

They use the cruiser to take teams of people, in the name of Christ, to teach and learn, build relationships and work with residents ­ – in Vancouver Island and B.C. mainland coastal communities which are a bit off the beaten track.

But the team work continues throughout the rest of the year as well. B. C. Mission Boat Society has been working the coast since 2000. Today, only about 20 percent of the ministry is involved with  the boat. The rest is focused on short mission teams and year round volunteers.

The late Robert Koebernick, a Lutheran minister affectionately known as ‘Pastor Bob,’ envisioned the idea of reaching less accessible coastal communities during his tenure at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Parksville.

One of his congregants introduced the concept to him and he helped give feet to it, and encouraged other churches to pick up on it.

In a sense, it was natural for Lutherans to work at this idea. Many of the fishers on the coast were Scandinavian descendants or immigrants, and thus often linked to Lutheran church by faith and/or heritage.

But Kathy Bender, the Mission Boat society executive director, a former bank executive, wants to get the word out to the broader community of Christians.

Much of the support for the Mission Boat – that is what they call it, no matter the licensed name of the leased vessel – comes from Lutheran Church-Canada congregations – the second largest Lutheran denomination in Canada, with 325 congregations and more than 100,000 members and adherents throughout Canada.

Most supporters are from B.C. and Alberta. But an increasing number of other Christians from across the continent are hearing about the ministry and becoming interested in connecting with it, Bender says.

Mission Boat has made many new friends beyond the original support base by being at Missions Fest Vancouver, and through volunteers who have spread the word, Bender points out.

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She says: “We encourage churches to do a mission trip as a project, to go into a community for five days to two weeks. It is a means to show the grace of God to people, not in a confrontational way, but walking along beside them. Sometimes it can be a wonderful project for a family.”

Mission Boat at the dock.

The vision of the ministry is “people transformed by the grace and love of God, transforming community.” The goals are:

• Sharing the love of Christ.

• Identifying and helping in the needs of people including hammer-and-nail activities.

• Sharing in visits with lonely people.

• Outreach through vacation Bible schools.

• Participating in youth ministry and fellowship activities.

• Sharing in times of prayer, Bible study and music.

• Identifying and supporting Christian contact and/or lay persons willing to share in lay ministry training in coastal communities.

Mission boats have been long traditions on the coast, with the United and Anglican churches and the Shantymen and others involved over the years.

But there has been a decline more recently, as aircraft and road access have helped to reduce the isolation of the old fishing and logging camps, as well as the First Nation communities.

So, in that sense, says Bender, “the opportunity to serve is there,” even if the romance of the boat is less of a reality.

When Mission Boat first started, it was a “voyage of discovery. In many of the remote areas, churches were in disrepair, but there was still a desire on the part of the people to connect spiritually.”

Those wanting to check out Mission Boat are encouraged to go to bcmissionboat.org, or call 250-248-5300.

January 2008