Christian Riha's Blog

Andy Nelson has been the Campus Chaplin at Morningside since 2017 and says that he would not want it any other way.

Some things that go into being the Campus Chaplin involve tending to the life of the Morningside community. Andy is considered to be both a Lutheran and Christian Pastor on campus and helps students try to express their faith more and ask the tough questions.

“To be in a place where people think about the hard questions and are not afraid to question what their morals are is something I always wanted to be in,” Pastor Nelson says. Helping advise students and student groups on campus with their faith is also another main goal for Pastor Nelson.

Growing up in Red Wing, Minnesota, Pastor Nelson had always been involved with faith in his early life which makes sense why he would want to be a full time Chaplin at a College University.

In high school Andy said that his Freshman year is the first time that he told his parents that he wanted to be a pastor. However, during his Junior year in college, Pastor Nelson said that he became more hesitant into becoming a Pastor. “What am I being called to do?” was the thing he was constantly asking himself, “I have this Faith in my life now, but is being a Pastor the best way that I can help others?” Asking this tough questions daily only strengthened his Faith and Goals in life.

Andy said that he “Always knew he wanted to work with college students.” While he was in the seminary, Andy was involved with an internship for 1 year at St. Olaf University where he was able to deepen his faith while also learning how to help students better understand their Faith.

While Pastor Nelson is involved with a lot of things at Morningside, he also has a life outside of his workplace and hobbies that he enjoys as well. Some of Pastor Nelsons Favorite hobbies include: reading fiction novels, theater, drama, gardening, fishing, and hunting with his father whenever he is able to. Andy also says he tends to have his hands full at times with his 4 kids, who’s ages range from 3-14.

~ by Christian on .