For Class today professor Ross Fuglsang invited a speaker to speak to our class. The guest speaker Fuglsang brought in was Pastor Andy Nelson from Morningside University. Previous to working at Morningside University Pastor Nelson’s wife Jessica Pleuss became a psychology professor while Nelson commuted two hours to work everyday. Once the job opening opened at Morningside Nelson applied and got the job and they have been here since.
Pastor Nelson’s job on campus is to support every student’s type of religion even if you don’t believe at all. Nelson is willing to help in various ways, “Connect to something bigger than you, in a philosophical way, or a religious way.” Pastor Nelson also helps advise student groups related to faith and spirituality.
Growing up Pastor Nelson would help with church services and often read while being at church in a small Minnesota town called Red Wings. When Nelson got to Luther College in Iowa he then started to think about becoming a pastor and eventually became committed.
After graduating college Pastor Nelson began his seminary where he then only made it half through before getting burnt out. When asked if he would tell his younger self something about what he knows now he said, “have a gap year after graduating to get a certain type of experience before seminary.” Pastor Nelson returned months later and eventually became a pastor. He now has four kids that range from the ages two to fourteen.
With Pastor Nelson’s line of work he sometimes has a struggle seeing the difference he’s making day to day. When asked if he could pick another job he didn’t have a specific one in mind. He did have this to say about another job possibility, “Something that you can see that you added to the world by the end of the day.”
In Pastor Nelson’s eyes faith is the most important thing in his life. Not always being in church or reading the bible. An example he gave us was, “Faith shapes how I see the world, how I see other people, and how I see death and other terms.” With faith he would like to bring the community together at Morningside University how they used to in the olden days. Not necessarily church but festivals, recitals, or conventions.