Dr. Andy Minto

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was hovering around 800 in 1981 and a young Andy Minto was on the road to financial independence as an account executive with Merrill Lynch.

Still, in the back of his mind, Minto had a “strong conviction the Lord was leading me to something else.”

That “something else” became clear when Andy and his wife, Pam, went to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to hear Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, the president of Franciscan University, speak at a religious conference. Theology professor Father Dan Sinisi, TOR, also spoke briefly about Franciscan’s new MA Theology Program.

Convicted he should pursue a new career as a biblical theologian, he moved with Pam to Steubenville and completed his master’s while teaching undergrad theology courses. His professors thought so highly of Minto they offered him a faculty position, then agreed to keep it open for him while he completed his doctoral work in biblical studies at The Catholic University of America, with a focus on the languages of the Bible—Biblical Koine Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Aramaic, and Extra-Biblical Aramaic.

Shortly after he returned to Franciscan to begin his teaching career, Minto was appointed director of MA Theology. He remained at the helm for seven years, guiding the young program through a crucial period of growth.

“My colleagues and I streamlined the admission process and focused on strengthening the academic rigor of the program so our students could best serve the Church,” he says.

During his tenure as director, the MA Theology Program nearly tripled in size and became the largest on-ground master’s theology program in the nation.

“I remember being asked in a meeting what I wanted for our students, and I replied ‘I want them to be theologians! I want them to think with the heart of the Church, be leaders, and pass on the faith to others.’”

Today, the Dow sits comfortably above 30,000, but Minto has no regrets he left millions on the table.

“I lived my entire life doing one thing, dedicating myself to Jesus and his purposes. That’s all I cared about. Period.”

Minto is one of only five faculty members to retire with professor emeritus rank and privilege.

Andy and Pam now divide their time between their four adult children and three grandchildren, making items with their potter’s wheel—a parting gift from Andy’s colleagues—and plying the local waters in their 30-foot sailboat.