Chaplain William Henry King III
Senior pastor, chief police chaplain, and combat veteran
A featured voice in the Police Chaplain Project, Dr. William Henry King III brings to his ministry the full weight of a remarkable life. The tenth of thirteen children born in Houston's Third Ward, he served from 1983 to 1992 in the United States Marine Corps — a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm who rose to Gunnery Sergeant with multiple meritorious promotions, two Certificates of Merit, and a Commanding General Award. He is now Senior Pastor of Greater New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Dickinson, Texas, and Chief Chaplain of the Dickinson Police Department.
His reflections on the principles of hope have offered enduring encouragement to officers and chaplains alike, and his ministry on the Gulf Coast extends far beyond the pulpit. He has served seven terms on the Dickinson City Council, twice as Mayor Pro-Tem, and eight years on the board of the Houston-Galveston Area Council. He founded Greater New Hope Christian Academy and led the campaign that designated the historic African-American Magnolia Cemetery as a Texas Historical Landmark. He is currently President of the American Baptist Convention of Texas and Moderator of the Southeast District Association, and he holds the highest recognition of the International Conference of Police Chaplains.
He lives in Dickinson with his wife, First Lady Shemika King, and their children Destini, Bailee, and William H. King IV. His contribution to the ChaplainUSA archive — a sustained meditation on hope itself — sits at the foundation of the project.