In Loving Memory of Rev. Dr. Robert Cunville (1939–2026)

January 17, 2026

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our President Emeritus, Rev. Dr. Robert Cunville, who went to be with the Lord. We invite you to hold his beloved wife, Carol, and the entire Cunville family in your prayers during this time of grief, gratitude, and thanksgiving for a life faithfully lived in service to Christ.

Rev. Dr. Cunville shared a long and deeply cherished relationship with United Bible Societies (UBS), serving as its President for twelve years. His leadership was distinguished by profound faith, wisdom, and humility. He will be remembered with deep affection and gratitude as a true servant of the Lord and as a trusted friend, mentor, and spiritual father within the UBS Fellowship. We rejoice in the assurance that he now rests in the presence of the Lord whom he loved and served so faithfully.

In recognition of his exemplary leadership, Rev. Dr. Cunville was elected President of United Bible Societies in 2010 and re-elected in 2016 for a second six-year term. In 2023, he was honoured with the title of President Emeritus, acknowledging his enduring contribution to the global Bible movement.

Rev. Dr. Cunville also made a lasting impact on the wider church through his service as President of the Bible Society of India from 1994 to 2000, during which time he strengthened the mission of Bible translation, publication, and distribution across the nation.

Born in India in 1939, Rev. Dr. Robert Cunville came to Christian faith as a young man through the preaching of a village evangelist in his hometown of Shillong, an encounter that decisively shaped the course of his life. Though his parents had hoped he would pursue legal studies in England, he chose instead to remain in India and undertake theological training at Serampore College, the historic institution founded by the pioneering missionary William Carey.

Ordained in 1966 by the Presbyterian Synod of North East India, Rev. Dr. Cunville began his ministry as a lecturer in New Testament studies at the Theological College in North East India. He later served as Pastor of Union Chapel of the Church of North India in Calcutta. Recognised for his leadership gifts and ecumenical vision, he was appointed as one of the Secretaries of the National Council of Churches in India, a role he fulfilled with distinction for four years.

In 1972, Rev. Dr. Cunville met Billy Graham, an encounter that opened the door to a remarkable global evangelistic ministry. In 1978, he was invited by Dr. Graham to join the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as an Associate Evangelist. For more than three decades, Rev. Dr. Cunville preached in evangelistic crusades around the world, and through his faithful proclamation of the gospel, countless men and women came to faith in Christ.

From June 1975 to 1976, he spent a year in Fort Lauderdale assisting D. James Kennedy in establishing the international wing of Evangelism Explosion III, helping to equip churches worldwide for effective evangelism.

Throughout his life, Rev. Dr. Robert Cunville was known for his unwavering commitment to Christ, his intellectual depth, and his profound humility. His legacy lives on in the many lives transformed through his teaching, preaching, and leadership, and in the enduring impact of the institutions and ministries he served so faithfully.

He will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and eternally honoured by the Lord he served.