RB Kuhn

Associate Professor, Division of Liberal Arts, IWU-National & Global

RB Kuhn’s journey has been God’s training ground for smoothing others’ paths: today, he and his wife, Pamela, have an unofficial ministry of encouragement. He says it comes from joy, and in RB, that joy seems to unfold in stories—stories from his life meant for others, even you and me.

In our short 75-minute conversation, RB told me about his love of salt-rising bread, about growing up in Appalachia and marrying a coal-miner’s daughter, about his hilarious reputation for falling down stairs, he and his grandchildren’s musical talents, and the summer he planted 1,100 annuals on his church’s property.

But I don’t think RB’s joy comes from yeast-less bread or being a little clumsy. Stitching together the happy stories were RB’s memories of the harder moments: a tragic house fire that claimed the life of their infant daughter, the passing of beloved parents, and other stories you can feel more than you can hear.

Their collective experiences in grief and joy have prompted RB and Pamela to write on encouragement in devotional publications like Light from the Word and Opening the Word. Right now, they are working on a writing project together.

“My wife and I feel we have enough experience grieving through the years that maybe now we’re ready to write about God’s sustaining grace,” RB said. “We don’t want to say this is how you do it, but this is how we did it: holding to God’s unchanging hand, not blaming him or anybody else. Not that we’re perfect, but his grace is sufficient.”

RB carries his joy into the virtual classroom each week at IWU–National & Global where he has taught for 20 years and is the faculty lead for the integrative studies programs. He mostly teaches general studies and liberal arts courses, getting to pass on his love of the fine arts to IWU’s online students. His wife, Pamela J. Kuhn, has authored more than 40 children’s books—many of which were edited and even illustrated by RB—and she keeps a blog where she writes about grief, joy and encouragement. In his free time, RB loves to play the piano and organ, volunteering his talents whenever he can.

RB Kuhn holds a BA in Religious Education, an MS in Educational Administration, and he’s currently working on his Doctor of Educational Ministry, anticipating its completion later this year.