Today at the Port of Tauranga, something quietly extraordinary happened.
Ruth Haar—now 90 years old—walked through the doors of the Seafarers Mission she helped create more than three decades ago. No fanfare, no ceremony. Just Ruth, warm as ever, stepping once again into the place where countless acts of hospitality, compassion, and faith have taken root.
Her visit reminded us that this Mission, which now stands as the United Seafarers Mission, was not born from strategy documents or committees. It began around a kitchen table, in the hearts of ordinary people who were willing to respond to God’s prompting—and to the needs of strangers arriving by sea.
From a Simple Idea to a Lifelong Calling
In the 1980s, Ruth and her husband Fred met a young South Korean Chief Officer named Jin Kim. Their friendship became the spark that lit what would one day become our Mission.
Ruth recalls the moment as if it happened yesterday:
Jin, sitting at the kitchen table in Papamoa Beach, looked Fred in the eye and said, “I’m going to start a Seafarers Mission.”
From that bold sentence came a journey of faith, teamwork, and holy persistence. Fred took Jin to Rev. Ray Coster at Mt Maunganui Presbyterian Church, and together they began building something that would reshape the spiritual and social landscape of our port community.
First came the Northern Roller Mills building. Then a move to Hull Road. Along the way came volunteers, prayer, ping-pong tables, hymn books, pots and pans, donated clothing, and—always—a deep sense of welcome for those far from home.
Ruth’s Heart: Hospitality as Ministry
Ruth and her fellow volunteers embodied a kind of hospitality that went far beyond food and conversation. It was the hospitality of Christ Himself—listening, caring, laughing, praying, and standing with seafarers in their joys and their darkest moments.
Her stories—many of them humorous, some heartbreaking—tell the truth of this place more powerfully than any annual report:
- The engineer who felt he no longer belonged at home.
- The Chief Engineer who received news of his brother’s death and needed someone simply to sit with him for hours.
- The Russian sailor tucked obediently in bed after mistaking Ruth’s gestures for strict maternal orders.
- Three exhausted Filipinos snoring peacefully on mismatched furniture.
- The asylum seeker taken into a volunteer’s home for months because he had nowhere else to turn.
- The captain who wasn’t religious, but still asked for a service for his Filipino crew because he knew it brought them peace.
These moments weren’t just stories—they were sacraments. They were glimpses of God’s kingdom in action.
From the Galilee Mission to the United Seafarers Mission
What began in 1990 as the Galilee Mission, under the care of the Mt Maunganui Presbyterian Church, grew into something larger, broader, and deeply embedded in the life of the Port of Tauranga.
Ruth and her team—self-described as the “Wrinkly Club”—worked with joy, prayer, and plenty of laughter. They sold chocolate and phone cards, shared meals, ran services, built friendships, and opened their homes to crew in need.
Their faithfulness laid the foundation for all we do today:
- Ship visits
- Pastoral care
- Transport
- Emergency support
- Worship
- Advocacy
- And a place where seafarers still come to rest, reconnect, and remember they are not forgotten
The Mission has changed over the years, but the heart remains the same—because Ruth and those early pioneers shaped it with love, dignity, and unwavering Christian hospitality.
Why Today Matters
Seeing Ruth walk into the Mission today felt like a circle being completed.
She stepped into a centre that is busier than ever. Seafarers from every corner of the world still come seeking warmth, Wi-Fi, worship, and human connection. Volunteers still brew tea, listen, laugh, and pray. And the Mission continues to stand as a light on the waterfront—exactly as Ruth and Fred and Jin envisioned.
At 90 years old, Ruth is still teaching us something vital:
Faithfulness matters. Compassion matters. A welcome offered in Christ’s name matters.
And when small acts of love accumulate over decades, they become something far greater than any of us can imagine.
Thank You, Ruth
From all of us at the United Seafarers Mission:
Thank you, Ruth, for the seeds you planted, the stories you lived, and the legacy you have entrusted to us.
We walk in the path you helped lay.
And today, we were reminded just how blessed we are to do so.
