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Stephen M. King, Ph.D.
Professor, Government & Criminal Justice

Stephen M. King, Ph.D.

Bio

>Dr. Stephen King received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1990.

Dr. King has taught in Christian higher education since 1991 and in higher education overall since 1989. His primary teaching areas include public administration, public policy analysis, ethics in public leadership, and American government and politics. His scholarly areas of expertise and interest include public administration (subfields: administrative ethics, spirituality, and the public workplace; public management and leadership), public policy (subfields: policy analysis, policy development and implementation, general policy) and American politics (subfields: general American politics, religion and politics, state and local government).

Dr. King has published dozens of articles, essays, book reviews, and policy studies in academic and non-academic publications. His research covers a wide range of areas, including religion and politics, spirituality and the workplace, ethical and moral leadership in public sector organizations, education reform, and civic education. In addition, he has authored and co-authored three books: God and Caesar: The Biblical Keys to Good Government and Community Action (Xulon Press, 2002), co-author with Bradley S. Chilton, Administration in the Public Interest: Principles, Policies, and Practices (Carolina Academic Press, 2009), and co-author with Bradley S. Chilton, Viviane E. Foyou, and J. Scott McDonald, The Public Administration Profession: Policy, Management, and Ethics (Routledge, 2018). His fourth book is titled Ethical Public Leadership: Foundation, Exploration, and Discovery, forthcoming summer 2023 by Routledge.

In addition to teaching and research, Dr. King has served in several administrative positions in Christian higher education, including associate dean of Academics, director of the MPA program, and department chairman (Patrick Henry College, Taylor University, and Regent University). In addition, he served as research vice president at the Public Interest Institute in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa (2008-09). He serves on two executive councils: Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration (2020-22) and the Section on Ethics and Integrity in Government, American Society of Public Administration (2021-24). C-SPAN recently invited him to be one of 141 scholars nationwide to participate in its 2021 President Survey.

Dr. King has pastored two churches (1996; 1997-98), launched his own speaking and writing ministry, Stephen King Ministries (2002-03), and was a licensed and ordained minister (e.g., Redemption Ministries and Bob Yandian Ministries).

He is married to Debbie, and they have two grown children, Michelle and Joshua.

Publications

Agyapong, E., King, S.M., Roberts, G. (2022). Servant Leadership and Ethics. In: Dhiman, S.K., Roberts, G.E. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Servant Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69802-7_96-1

Roberts, G.E., King, S.M., Agyapong, E. (2022). Servant Soldiers. In: Dhiman, S., Roberts, G.E. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Servant Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69802-7_51-1

Bradley S. Chilton & Stephen M. King (2022). Constitutional conscience and plural ethical directionality. Public Integrity, 24(1), 18-32, https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2020.1838131.

Stephen M. King (2022) Crisis Leadership: A Case Study of New York’s 2020 COVID-19 Nursing Home Executive Policy Action, Public Integrity, 24(7), pp. 654-663. Published online in 2021, https://doi.org/10.1080/10999922.2021.1960750.

King, S. M., Agyapong, E., & Roberts, G. (2021). ASPA code of ethics as a framework for teaching ethics in public affairs and administration: A conceptual content analysis of MPA ethics course syllabi. Journal of Public Affairs Education, 27(2), 176-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/15236803.2019.1640560.

Affiliations

Member of Executive Committee, Section of Ethics and Integrity in Government (SEIGov), American Society of Public Administration, 2021-24

Member of Executive Council, Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration, 2020-23

Awards

Leadership Position in Academics:

  • Adjunct Scholar, Indiana Policy Review Foundation, November 2012-15, Craig Ladwig, Executive Director
  • Vice-President of Christians in Political Science (2010-12)
  • President (1985-86) and Vice-President (1984-85) of Pi Sigma Alpha (UMC chapter)

Honor Societies, Clubs and Student associations:

  • Who’s Who in America? (1999-2000)
  • Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, (1981-82); Locke and Key Political Science Club (1981-83)

Awards:

  • Five Year Meritorious Service Award, Oral Roberts University Faculty (1991-96)
  • American Citizenship Award (1979), Iowa State Bar Association and Iowa State Bar Foundation