Rev. Dr. Robert Rieweh Cunville, one of India’s most respected evangelists and a longtime associate of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, passed away on Friday, January 17, 2026, at NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, at the age of 86.
Born on March 15, 1939, in Tezpur, Assam, to the late Dr. R.L. Cunville and late Felicia Kharshiing, Dr. Cunville’s ministry spanned over five decades, touching countless lives across India and internationally. According to Lalmalsawma Nghaka, Treasurer of Mizoram PCC, Dr. Cunville suffered a heart attack on December 26, 2025, during the Christmas holidays. Despite dedicated medical care in Shillong, he passed away on the morning of January 17.
Dr. Cunville completed his Bachelor of Divinity and Master of Theology at Serampore University between 1958 and 1965, followed by a Master’s degree in Missions from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1975. The Khasi Jaintia Presbyterian Synod ordained him in 1966. He served as a lecturer at Cherra Theological College in Sohra, Youth Secretary of the National Council of Churches, and Pastor of Union Chapel, Calcutta. In 1998, he joined the Laitumkhrah Presbyterian Church in Shillong, where he remained associated until his death.
His partnership with Billy Graham began in 1972 during a historic campaign in Nagaland. In 1977, Dr. Graham invited him to join his evangelistic team, and Dr. Cunville served as an Associate Evangelist with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, preaching across countries. Following Dr. Graham’s death in 2018, Dr. Cunville was chosen to offer prayers at his funeral, reflecting the global respect he commanded.
Dr. Cunville held significant leadership positions with the United Bible Societies, serving as President from 2010 and being re-elected in 2016. In 2023, he was honoured as President Emeritus. He also served as President of the Bible Society of India. As recently as November 2025, when Franklin Graham was unable to attend a revival event in Kohima, Dr. Cunville stepped in to preach, demonstrating his faithful service even in his final months.
Tributes poured in from across the country. Rev. Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, remembered Dr. Cunville as “an extremely soft-spoken and gentle man, one who walked closely with God and carried authority without harshness.” Rev. Lal recalled working with Dr. Cunville to organise a seminar for over 500 pastors in Delhi in 2022 and cherished the regular phone calls that “reflected a pastor’s heart and a sincere concern for the wellbeing of others.”
Rev. Dr. Richard Howell, Principal of Caleb Theological Institute, described him as “a faithful servant of God” who “was used mightily across the world to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ with clarity and conviction.”
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said: “A true shepherd of Christ, Rev. Cunville drew people closer to Him through a life marked by humility and a spirituality deeply rooted in faith.”
Lalmalsawma Nghaka recalled Dr. Cunville as one of India’s most distinguished evangelists, particularly remembered by the Mizo people as the speaker at the 1988 Crusade at Government High School Field and at the Will Graham Crusade in 2012.
Allen Brooks of the United Christian Forum of North East India expressed the region’s grief, while Rt. Rev. Kathiroli Manickam, Bishop of the Evangelical Church of India Chennai Diocese, called his passing “an irreplaceable loss.”
Rev. Lal concluded: “The Church in India has lost a faithful servant, but we give thanks for a life well lived and a race well run.”
Article photo from here.
