Rev. Dr. Malcolm L. Minnick Jr. '55

Malcolm Lee Minnick Jr. was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and grew up in Salem where he graduated from Andrew Lewis High School in 1951. Malcolm received the Bachelor or Arts degree, with honors, from Roanoke College in 1955. While a student at Roanoke, he was president of the Honor Society, president of the student body, co-editor of the yearbook, and president of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. In 1955, he was selected as the Outstanding Kappa Alpha in Virginia and for Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities.

Minnick earned a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1958. During this time, he was president of the Luther League of America and was a member of working committees of the World Council of Churches.

From 1958 through 1976, Dr. Minnick served as pastor to three churches in Virginia. During his 18 years as a pastor in the Virginia Synod, he was involved in many other areas of ministry in addition to the congregations served. He was president of the board of trustees of the Virginia Lutheran Homes and of Marion College. During this time, Minnick provided leadership in closing Marion and merging its assets with Roanoke College.

In 1976, Dr. Minnick moved from congregational ministry to a position in the churchwide organization of the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) in New York, New York. He continued his ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with a move to Chicago, Illinois, in 1988. During Minnick's 21 years of work in the LCA and ELCA, he was director of various programs, and he retired as Executive Director, Division for Outreach, ELCA. During his leadership, among other notable achievements, 1000 new ministries were started; 200 congregations were organized in ethnic specific communities to help the LCA and ELCA move toward the commitment to become an inclusive church; and over 2000 Lutheran pastors were trained to use outreach methodology in parish ministry. Minnick also played a lead role in expanding the Mission Investment Fund, ELCA, to be a bank for assisting congregations with low interest loans.

Newberry College awarded Minnick the Doctor of Divinity degree in 1992, and he received the Bachman Award for Distinguished Leadership in 1993 from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Roanoke College recognized Minnick as one of its Sesquicentennial Distinguished Alumni in 1992. He is a member of the Roanoke College Associates and the Society of 1842.

Dr. Minnick retired in 1997 after 39 years of active service as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In his retirement, he has functioned as senior interim pastor at two churches. Dr. Minnick is presently a consultant to the Advocate Medical Group in Chicago, assisting 250 doctors to incorporate spirituality into the practice of medicine.

The father of two daughters, Katherine and Ellen, and two sons, Mark and Jeffrey, Malcolm and his wife, Lynda Tidemann, live in Chicago, Illinois.

Malcolm L. Minnick Jr. received the Roanoke College Medal in 2005.