Echopedia

Rev. Kao Chun-ming (高俊明)

4 min read

Rev. Kao Chun-ming (高俊明)

Rev. Kao Chun-ming (Chinese: 高俊明; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ko Chùn-bêng; 6 June 1929, Tainan – 14 February 2019) was a minister of the |Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT). He served as PCT General Secretary (1970–1989), was imprisoned (1980–1984) for sheltering Kaohsiung Incident dissident Shih Ming-teh (施明德), and later served as a Senior Advisor to the Office of the President under Chen Shui-bian.

Identity Snapshot

  • Salutation: Rev. / 高俊明牧師 (also Rev. Dr. Kao in church English)
  • Chinese: 高俊明
  • POJ: Ko Chùn-bêng
  • Born / died: 6 June 1929 (Tainan) – 14 February 2019 (age 89)
  • Roles: PCT General Secretary (1970–1989); Yu-Shan Theological College president (1957–1970); political prisoner (1980–1984); Presidential Senior Advisor (2000s)
  • Geography: Tainan → England (Selly Oak) → Taiwan-wide PCT ministry

Timeline

  • 1929-06-06 — Born in Tainan. Grandfather Kao Chang (高長) was among the first Taiwanese baptized in James Laidlaw Maxwell’s mission; father Kao Tsai-te (高再得) was a physician; mother Hou Ching-lien (侯青蓮) later chaired Chang Jung Girls’ High School board. Related by marriage to Cai Peihuo (蔡培火).
  • c. 1939 — At age 10, sent to Aoyama Gakuin in Japan under Cai Peihuo’s care.
  • 1950s — Graduated Tainan Theological College and Seminary; studied at Selly Oak Colleges, England.
  • 1957–1970 — President, Yu-Shan Theological College (玉山神學院).
  • 1970 — Elected PCT General Secretary (to 1989).
  • 1977-08-16 — PCT issued “A Declaration on Human Rights,” calling for Taiwan to become a new and independent country.
  • 1979-12-10 — Kaohsiung Incident; afterward Kao helped Shih Ming-teh evade arrest.
  • 1980-04-24 — Arrested for harboring a fugitive; notebooks, files, and tapes seized.
  • 1980-06-05 — Taiwan Garrison Command court-martial: seven years’ imprisonment, five years’ deprivation of civil rights, property confiscated (with Hsu Ching-fu 許晴富).
  • 1980–1984 — Imprisoned. Wife Ruth Kao organized support and international church awareness. Pope John Paul II’s envoy visited him in prison. Prison poem 莿帕互火燒 later won a 2006 Golden Melody Award (lyric).
  • 1984-08 — Released.
  • 1989 — Left the General Secretary post; became principal of PCT Songnian University (松年大學). Addressed the World Alliance of Reformed Churches general council in Seoul.
  • 2000 — Appointed national policy advisor / Senior Advisor after Chen Shui-bian’s election.
  • 2001 — Memoir The Path to the Cross / 《十字架之路：高俊明牧師回憶錄》 launched.
  • 2006 — Publicly supported President Chen against Shih’s “Million Voices” resignation campaign.
  • 2012-12-20 — Named Tainan Outstanding Citizen; Mayor Lai Ching-te called him a “人格者.”
  • 2013 / later — Publicly opposed same-sex marriage legislation.
  • 2016 — Declined a Senior Advisor post under President Tsai Ing-wen.
  • 2019-01 — With |Peng Ming-min, |Wu Li-pei, and Lee Yuan-tseh, signed an open letter urging Tsai not to seek re-election.
  • 2019-02-14 — Died of illness. State citation of merit read at the 22 Feb memorial (Vice President Chen Chien-jen representing President Tsai).

Works

  • 《獄中書簡》 (1983, Jenkuang)
  • 《瞑想的森林—高俊明詩集》 (1989); Japanese edition 1995
  • 《十字架之路：高俊明牧師回憶錄》 / The Path to the Cross (2001)
  • 《高俊明回憶錄：磨難苦杯下的信仰與實踐》 (2017, Avanguard)

Network

Quotes

Address by the Reverend Dr Kao to the WARC general council, Seoul 1989: “The Lord turned my grief to joy.” — United Reformed Church / WARC record

Sources

  1. Wikipedia: Kao Chun-ming
  2. 維基百科：高俊明
  3. |Echopedia PCT page (1977 declaration; 1980 arrest)
  4. Taipei Times (2001-04-25) memoir launch; (2006-09-09) Kao–Shih split

Graph View

Backlinks