The Rev. Monte Tugwete was born in his native Zimbabwe, in the city of Harare and moved to North America in 2013 to pursue further theological studies at Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) at the then campus at 99 Brattle Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He has a CertTh, Advanced CertTh, DipTh, BTh, and BTh(Hons) from Harare Theological College. After attaining an MATS with EDS in 2015, he got an STM from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2016 and is now pursuing a PhD in Pastoral Psychology, Leadership, and Human Development. He is currently at the Precandidate level as all the coursework is done and comprehensive exams, and defence of dissertation proposal and then dissertation is next.
In 2018, Rev. Monte moved to British Columbia (BC), Canada and pursued ordination with the Anglican Church of Canada Diocese of New Westminster. He was ordained to the transitional diaconate in June 2021 and subsequently into priesthood in June 2022. He has since served Assistant Curate at Holy Trinity Cathedral, New Westminster, BC, and Assistant Curate at St. Alban’s, Burnaby, BC, and Priest-In-Charge at St. Alban’s, Burnaby, BC, before being called to be the 7th Rector of St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church in North Delta, BC, and the first person of color from Africa to serve as rector at this parish.
Foundations for Theological Studies at EDS where one is inducted into the Visions training which utilizes “guidelines for effective cross-cultural dialogue and existence” from William “Bill” Kondrath’s “Guidelines for Recognizing and Valuing Differences,” got Rev. Monte one of his favourite mottos that he has kept in life, “beware of intent vs. impact” as one “notices both process and content” in a world that needs more “both/and thinking not either/or binary standpoint.” He has used this thought process when teaching classes at Vancouver School of Theology, Trinity Western University, Rhodes Wellness College, and currently at University Canada West. This intellection has been the drive behind his venture into being an author with his first book recently published by Tellwell Publishing, It’s Not Racism, It’s Hatred, Hatred of a Different Skin Colour: A Metanalysis of the Root Cause of Racialized Oppression, being a continuation of this passion for always being a voice for the subaltern, a fire that was kindled in him at the beloved former EDS Brattle Street Campus.