OM’s Ship Ministry has responded to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by closing Logos Hope to the public. The ship is docked in Kingston, Jamaica, while next steps are being decided.

A response team has been put in place to monitor developments and make decisions in the best interests of the community on board and in accordance with the advice of all relevant authorities.

At this stage, it is expected that the ship will remain in the Caribbean region for the next three months; not crossing the Atlantic as planned for annual maintenance in the Canary Islands. Teams from the ship which were due to travel overseas during that time have also had to be cancelled. Work is ongoing to determine how the vessel’s schedule will alter over these coming months.

One knock-on effect is that Logos Hope's planned calls in Ireland and the Faroe Islands are being postponed. It is hoped that the port visits after that on the schedule can be carried out as planned, and this will become clearer in due course.

“We are indeed in unprecedented times,” said OM Ships CEO, Seelan Govender. “We have paused our usual ministry model and will spend time training and equipping our crew for future opportunities. Please continue to pray for the situation around the world.”

The port schedule will be updated once plans are in place, and further updates will be provided on a regular basis. OM encourages you to join in a day of prayer and fasting for the situation around the world on Thursday 26 March.