Typing with Taryn

Pastor Andy has been Morningside’s campus chaplain since 2017. He spends his time here with students, staff, and community members connect with their faith. 

Pastor Andy grew up in a small town in Southeastern Minnesota with about 15,000 people in the community. Faith has been a big part of his life from a young age. When asked if being a chaplain/pastor had always been a dream of his, he said, “I always got asked at my church if I had ever thought about becoming a pastor once I get older.”

Throughout college, Andy was back and forth in deciding if he wanted to be a chaplain upon graduation. 

He looked into a gap year as well. Looking back at his college years, he wished he would have taken the gap year to have a new experience with different communities and people.

What drew Pastor Andy into his final decision of becoming a chaplain was engaging with others. 

He told the class, “Being able to ask questions, to not only go along with what you’re saying, but engaging in an intellectual way… something about this I never lost and that’s part of what drew me to becoming a campus chaplain.”

The author Dietrich Bonhoeffer has a means of significance to Andy. Bonhoeffer’s theology stuck out the most to him.

This German author wrote about being in one’s community and what true faith looks like. Bonhoeffer’s writing sticks out to Andy because of his belief in acting within the world rather than retreating from it.

Before working at Morningside, Andy commuted from Sioux City to the University of South Dakota to be a campus chaplain there. Once the position here opened up, he applied and has been working here, along with his wife, since. 

At Morningside, Pastor Andy prioritizes each student’s faith, no matter what it may be. He also helps students get connected with worshiping communities. Andy’s open door policy allows students to openly discuss anything he or she may need to speak about.

While Pastor Andy’s faith has been a steady part of his life and he continues to share this love of the Word with staff, faculty, and community members.