Seamen’s Church Institute Appoints Rev. Charles Uhlik as Inland Maritime Chaplain

SCI’s Ministry on the River is pleased to announce that the Rev. Charles Uhlik will join the organization as Chaplain serving the Upper Mississippi River region, based in St. Louis. Beginning September 30, he will expand SCI’s chaplaincy presence along the inland waterways, providing dedicated pastoral care and support to mariners from St. Louis northward along the Upper Mississippi River. His appointment represents an important step in SCI’s long-term commitment to enhancing its Ministry on the River program, made possible through the generous support of donors and industry partners who contributed to the Ministry on the River Campaign.

The Rev. Uhlik will join a growing Ministry on the River team that includes the Rev. Nancy Simpson in Houston, serving the Gulf Coast and Houston Ship Channel; the Rev. Geoff Davis in New Orleans, serving the Lower Mississippi and Gulf Coast; and the Rev. Grace Pardun in Paducah, Supervisory Chaplain for the Upper Mississippi and Ohio River regions.

A lifelong servant leader, the Rev. Uhlik currently serves as Rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Paducah, Kentucky. His background includes service as a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve, years of parish ministry in the Episcopal Church, and nearly a decade as an SCI Chaplain Associate, a role he has held since 2016. Beyond his pastoral work, he has demonstrated leadership through service on diocesan committees and trustee bodies within the Diocese of Kentucky, and has remained deeply engaged in his community through organizations such as the Paducah Warming Center, the Race Unity Organization, and local ecumenical clergy initiatives.

“I am thrilled that the Rev. Charles Uhlik has accepted the call to serve as our Chaplain for the Upper Mississippi River,” said the Rev. Grace Pardun, Supervisory Chaplain for SCI’s Ministry on the River. “He has been a Chaplain Associate with SCI for many years, knows the industry well, and has been a gracious and collaborative colleague. He will be a wonderful addition to our chaplain team, and I am excited to witness the many ways he will contribute to the well-being of mariners.”

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