Established in 1998, SCI's Ministry on the River is the nation's only full-time pastoral care ministry on the Ohio and Lower Mississippi River systems. The program also includes a pastoral outreach system for river workers and their families extending from Pittsburgh to Houston.

This network of clergy and lay volunteers serves as a resource to mariners who visit inland ports as well as to those who spend long stretches shore-side. The network is operational 365 days a year ministering to mariners and their families. Ministry on the River includes boat visits, counseling services, fellowship, and even the use of a cell phone to mariners who may feel out of touch with their lives at home. Many hundreds of school children and church members are also involved through Ministry on the River's Easter and Christmas on the River programs.