A native of Minneapolis, Andrews was born with cerebral palsy and used a wheelchair throughout her life.
In 1964 she became the first woman accepted as a full-time student to the Lutheran Theological Seminary, from which she graduated in 1969.
She took a job on the staff of the Lutheran Campus Ministry of the University of Minnesota while in seminary.
She was ordained on December 22, 1970, two months after the ordination of women had been approved by the American Lutheran Church.
After two and a half years, she resigned to become interim pastor of Detroit's Resurrection Lutheran Church.