For 50 years Andy McDaniel passionately presented a living example of Jesus Christ to his own family and to 1000’s of students across this country.

Andy grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, in the heart of the Bible Belt, in a home void of spiritual emphasis. Andy thought God just had a bad last name and he didn’t have a clue what went on behind the doors of the many churches in his community.

All that changed when a girl he liked invited him to go to a Youth for Christ Campus Life club meeting in high school. Andy went to the meeting and in the process began a journey that led Him to the feet of Jesus Christ. When Andy asked the Lord to come into his heart and take over his life, Andy knew that he wanted to do what his Campus Life Director, Joe Guthrie, did for him for the rest of his life – and he has!

Andy attended Southeastern Bible College in Birmingham, Alabama, to study God’s word. From there he went on to serve in multiple Youth for Christ programs in Alabama (including Woodlawn High School about which the movie “Woodlawn” is based, Florida, Tennessee and Michigan (where Andy was part of the development of YFC Camps) serving as Campus Life Ministry Director as well as Executive Director. Andy ended his outstanding 36 year Youth for Christ career in 2008 in Miami, Florida, one of the largest YFC programs in the country.

God brought Andy and Valerie (Boersma) together in 1981 when Andy was the new Executive Director of Bay Area Youth For Christ in Clearwater, Florida and Valerie was touring with the Youth for Christ regional music ministry team, Salt and Light Company. Val moved to Clearwater from Michigan, to serve with Andy as office manager and ministry teammate. A year later they married and continued serving Youth for Christ programs including: Orlando, Miami, Nashville, Franklin (TN), Grand Rapids (MI) and back to Miami all while raising, loving and home educating 3 amazing children – Elizabeth, Sarah and Ben.

During these treasured years, Val was also involved in leading home educators in the places we lived, most notably leading Community Coffees (TN, MI and FL), Tuesday School classes (TN) and Mid-Winter Home Educators Conferences (MI). What an amazing family learning adventure alongside our amazing Youth For Christ ministries – Campus Life Clubs, Haunted House, Underground, YFC Camp, DC/LA, Souled Out, Gatlinburg, Project Serve Trips and so much more.

After 36 years with Youth for Christ, Andy and Val moved with their 3 grown children back to west Michigan, to direct and develop Moriah Ministries, designed to serve the 26,000+ students at Grand Valley State University in Allendale. Andy served Moriah Ministries as Executive Director for the next 15 years. Val served alongside him as administrative assistant and Mom Val to literally hundreds of students. We have a very large family!

Our family loved hosting students for Sunday suppers, cheering on the Lakers, Supersonic and SERVE Trips (DR, China, Alabama, North Carolina, Appalachia, Miami and more!) Andy trained staff and volunteers in intentional relational ministry, thus earning the right to be heard by serving GVSU students and staff.

In these roles Chap Andy led by his clear example, mentoring and training the next generation of ministry leaders, introducing countless souls to the unconditional love of Christ Jesus who forever changed all of our lives.

Recently a GVSU grad Andy served as Chaplain said this, “23 years on this earth and only one person cared enough to share the truth and the Gospel of Christ with me.”

Andy’s Linkedin site says this:

Andy McDaniel was born in Birmingham, Alabama in the early 1950’s. He grew up in extreme poverty, inner city, spent a season living in his car, second born of 5.

Believer in Jesus since September 23, 1970. Married to his best friend, Valerie, for the past 40 years. Dad to Elizabeth, Sarah and Ben. Father-in-law to Tom and Cole. Now serving in his favorite role of “Grandy” to Ziah, Hope, Faith, Alitza, Jonathon, Boaz and Andrew! Hobby can be summed up in two words – Roll Tide!

Favorite scriptures are:

II Timothy 3:16,17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

I Thessalonians 5:10,11 “Christ died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Andy served as:

– Founding Director of Moriah Ministries, serving students via Supersonic, faith building and mentoring at Grand Valley State University since 2008.

– Andy spent 15 years developing and directing Moriah Ministries, an evangelistic outreach to Grand Valley State University, with a ministry of presence (to the students and faculty) with an intentional, caring focus on those who fall outside the boundaries of the local church.

– Andy’s first 36 years of ministry were spent serving with Youth for Christ where he first met Jesus through the faithful ministry of a Campus Life director named Joe Guthrie.

Youth For Christ positions held include Executive Director and, in his early years, Campus Life Ministry Director. Member of the YFC Consortium, Andy was a Campus Life trainer many years for incoming YFC staff at Summer Institute in Rockford, IL. Andy was asked often to move to a YFC program to rejuvenate their Campus Life programs. By God’s grace he was able to help bring these programs’ Campus Life ministries to a healthy and thriving place. Most recently served Youth for Christ Campus Life as a ministry staff trainer for West Michigan YFC mentoring a new Campus Life club director as he developed the Union High School Campus Life club.

Youth for Christ programs served through the years include: Birmingham, AL, Clearwater, FL, Orlando, FL, Miami, FL, Nashville, TN, Franklin, TN and Grand Rapids, MI.