Meyu Changkiri
The sanctuary of Laitumkhrah Presbyterian Church was filled with quiet emotion as the funeral service of Rev. Dr. Robert R. Cunville drew to a close. In that sacred moment, Rev. Terrence Wanshong rose to sing Dr. Cunville’s favourite hymn, “Leave It There.”
As the familiar words were sung, grief and gratitude seemed to meet. It was more than a song - it was a final sermon, a confession of trust, and a gentle invitation to place every burden into the hands of God. In that moment of shared sorrow and faith, the life of Rev. Dr. Cunville was remembered not merely through spoken tributes, but through worship.
Listening to that hymn, I found myself taken back many years - to the first time I heard his name, long before I ever imagined that our paths would cross so closely, or that I would one day stand among those remembering his life with such personal gratitude.
Rev. Dr. Cunville came from the Khasi tribe and was nurtured within the Presbyterian tradition, particularly the Khasi-Jaintia Presbyterian Church. He was deeply rooted in his own people, church, and theological heritage. Yet the beauty of his life lay in the way he never allowed those roots to become boundaries. His faith reached outward - with humility, grace, and deep respect - embracing believers across denominations, tribes, and regions. It was this spirit that endeared him deeply to the Naga people and to the wider Christian fellowship of Northeast India.
A Name First Heard Through Song and Friendship
My first awareness of Dr. Cunville dates back to 1998, when I joined Eastern Theological College in Jorhat, Assam, as a student. During those formative years, I came into close contact with Rev. Terrence Wanshong, who was then pursuing his Master of Theology.
Our friendship grew naturally through music and ministry. Rev. Wanshong often invited me - and a few other friends - to join him in singing at various college and church programmes. Those moments of shared worship were simple, unplanned, and deeply formative. Through song, prayer, and fellowship, a deep bond was formed - one that quietly shaped my understanding of ministry as something relational rather than performative.
Only later did I learn that Rev. Wanshong was a close associate of Dr. Cunville. In that quiet and unassuming way, Dr. Cunville’s name entered my life - not through prominence or publicity, but through friendship, song, and shared service. Looking back now, it feels deeply fitting that my earliest connection to him came through worship and relationships, reflecting the very spirit with which he himself lived and served.
God’s Quiet Leading to Shillong
I never imagined that my journey would bring me to Shillong, nor that I would come to know Dr. Cunville so personally. What began as a distant name gradually became a relationship shaped by conversation, prayer, and a shared concern for the Church.
In hindsight, it is clear that this unfolding was not of my own planning, but of God’s gracious leading - especially within the wider ecumenical fellowship of Northeast India. Dr. Cunville was deeply committed to the unity and witness of the Church in this region, serving faithfully through his close involvement with the North East India Christian Council and the United Bible Societies. His concern was never institutional for its own sake, but pastoral - rooted in a longing to see the Church stand together in faith, integrity, and humility.
A Suit Worn in Faith
Before the Kohima Crusade organised by the Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship on November 30, 2025, Dr. Cunville made a simple and thoughtful request. He asked if the pastors would gift him a suit to wear while preaching at the Crusade.
He was careful to explain that this request did not arise from need, nor from an inability to provide for himself. Rather, he shared that he wished to wear the same suit at his own funeral as well.
In that quiet request was revealed a soul at peace - one who understood that the Gospel proclaimed in life is the same hope that carries a servant home. What he wore to stand before God’s people, he wished also to wear as a final testimony of faith before God Himself. It was a profoundly simple expression of readiness, humility, and trust.
Gifts That Carried Honour and Belonging
At the Kohima Crusade held at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Dr. Cunville was also presented with traditional Naga symbols - a Naga headgear and a ceremonial spear. In Naga culture, such gifts are not mere tokens; they signify honour, trust, and belonging.
Unable to carry these items on his return flight to Shillong, Dr. Cunville accepted the pastors’ promise that they would bring the gifts to him later. None of them knew that this promise would be fulfilled not to him personally, but to his bereaved family.
When the pastors later arrived with those gifts, the moment was deeply moving - a promise kept, love honoured, and unity affirmed even beyond death. In that act, cultural respect and Christian fellowship came together in quiet harmony.
Fellowship That Transcends Boundaries
Representing the Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship, Rev. Dr. Ruokuovilie Sachü, Dr. S. N. Among Jamir, Rev. Dr. Benry Lotha, Rev. Vezopa Rakho, and Rev. Irengte visited Dr. Cunville’s family to present the gifts and to pay their last respects.
A Baptist pastors’ fellowship visiting a Presbyterian family. Naga leaders honouring a Khasi Christian elder. Churches crossing denominational and tribal lines - not for formality, but for love. In a time when divisions often dominate Christian discourse, the life of Dr. Cunville bore witness to a quieter, deeper unity - one lived rather than declared.
He did not try to erase differences. He honoured people within them. He did not seek prominence. He sought faithfulness. He did not demand unity. He embodied it.
A Personal Conversation Remembered
On May 25, 2025, church leaders gathered at Eldorado Guest House for breakfast and prayer - a time set apart for reflection, fellowship, and discerning a shared vision for the renewal of Shillong.
That morning, I had the privilege of a long and meaningful conversation with Dr. Cunville. We spoke about ministry, about Nagaland, and about the Church. His words were measured and thoughtful, marked by deep concern, affection, and prayerful hope for the people and the land. Even in conversation, he carried the posture of a shepherd.
A Sacred Final Visit
After returning from Kohima, I later learned that Dr. Cunville had travelled to the Garo Hills and had shared the Word of God at Nongkrem Presbyterian Church on Christmas Day, December 25, 2025. The following day, he was hospitalised.
On January 2, 2026, Pastor Vikethozo informed me that Dr. Cunville had been admitted to Bethany Hospital, Shillong and conveyed the request from the Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship that we visit him on their behalf.
Though physically weakened, Dr. Cunville was visibly pleased to see us. We spoke gently about family, Kohima, and ministry, and before leaving, I offered a word of prayer, entrusting him once more into the gracious care of God.
The following week, after returning from a family gathering and my native church’s Quasquicentennial celebration at Nagaland, I received the news of his passing. The suddenness was deeply sobering. Yet, in retrospect, that hospital visit now feels like a sacred gift - a final moment of fellowship, prayer, and shared hope.
A Life Left in God’s Hands
At his funeral, tributes spoke of a faithful servant, a global evangelist, and a man known well by God. Yet what remains most deeply is the quiet way he lived his faith - with humility, courage, and trust.
As Rev. Terrence Wanshong’s voice carried the words of “Leave It There” through the church that day, it felt as though Dr. Cunville was offering one final witness. A witness that faith does not cling, but surrenders. That unity is not demanded, but embodied.
May we honour his memory not only with words, but by living with the same trust, humility, and love. And may the Church, across denominations and communities, learn again to leave our burdens there - at the feet of Christ.
