Rev. Ben McIntire, a third-year medical student, is the current UNMC Student Senate Global Engagement Liaison.
McIntire, from Harlan, Iowa, has a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Iowa State University and a masters of divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 2009 and has served in Lutheran congregations around Western Iowa for the past ten years. His career goals are to work in emergency medicine and medical ministries in Tanzania.
"As a second-career student coming to UNMC after ten years in ministry, I ran for student senate in the hope of offering my experience in leadership for the benefit of the student body. We have weathered the storms of 2020 and now 2021, but not without an emotional toll. I am grateful for the steps that UNMC and the Senate have taken on behalf of our students so far," McIntire said. "In that spirit, the Senate must continue to listen to the voices of our classmates, create space for dialogue and healing, lift up the concerns and the triumphs of our friends, and show grace in the face of the impossible balancing act that many of us undertake."
McIntire explained that as a student senator and as Global Engagement Liaison, he will work diligently on behalf of UNMC students to bring ideas and concerns to leadership so the senate can promote healing for the student body and care for the health of the community and the world.
McIntire’s goals for the 2021-2022 year include:
- attending meetings of the global engagement committee on campus and working with other student organizations to help promote international engagement on campus,
- acting as a conduit for international students, proposing policies, activities, and curriculum internationalization, and
- increasing awareness of international opportunities for UNMC students such as study-abroad courses and volunteering.
In 2015, McIntire represented the Western Iowa Synod of the ELCA to their companion church in the Southern Diocese of Tanzania Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). He spent nearly a month traveling from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar, Iringa, Njombe, Lupembe, Mbeya, and Bagamoyo. During these travels, he promoted the Hatua Kwa Hatua (Step by Step) Partnership between the two churches, visiting projects shared and supported by both organizations.
What McIntire loved about all these partner projects is that their two churches were working together to combine expertise, resources, and volunteers to support the needs of these Tanzanian communities.
"As a pastor, I was able to preach, pray, and baptize, along with the other ministers of the seven churches that make up the Lupembe Parish," McIntire said. "Someday as a physician, I hope to return to work alongside the dedicated doctors at Ilembula Hospital and support them with improvements in training, equipment, and resources to better serve the people who rely on them for healthcare."