Author: ericfolkerth

Eric Folkerth is a minister, musician, author and blogger. He is Senior Pastor of Kessler Park UMC United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. Previously, he was pastor at Northaven UMC in Dallas for seventeen years. Eric loves to write on topics of spirituality, social justice, music/art and politics. The entries on this blog reflect that diversity of interests. His passion for social justice goes beyond mere words. Eric was arrested at the White House, defending immigrants and “The Dreamers;” and he’s officiated at same sex weddings. Eric was the 2017 recipient of the prestigeous Kuchling Humanitarian Award from Dallas’ Black Tie Dinner. (Human Rights Campaign) Eric has led or co-led hundreds of persons on mission trips to build houses and bring medical care around the globe, to places such as Mexico, Haiti, Russia, Guatemala, and Nepal. He is proud of have shephereded Highland Park UMC's construction of ten Habitat for Humanity homes, (and one Community Center) and helped forge an alliance with Habitat that led to the construction of 100 homes in Dallas, housing thousands of people. His wife, Justice Dennise Garcia, has 20 years experience as a state district judge and appelate justice in North Texas. First elected in 2004, she was the first Latina ever elected to a Dallas County state district bench, and she she left that position whe was the longest currently serving district judge. In 2020 Dennise Garcia was a elected as a Justice of the 5th District Court of Appeals for Texas. She is currently running to be Chief of the 5th District Court of Appeals in the 2024 cycle. They have the world’s best daughter, Maria, who is a practicing professional counselor in Dallas. Find links to Eric’s music-related websites, at the top of this site’s navigation menu.

Dad Died Today

November 16, 2015.Reading time 1 minute.

Friends, My Father passed away about 1 pm this afternoon, here at home. His condition had been deteriorating quickly. But this really caught us all off guard in terms of speed. However, we are all in agreement that this is a blessing. He was not in pain. And he was enough of a control freak […]

Thoughts on Breath, And Dad

November 11, 2015.Reading time 18 minutes.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about breath. Those of you who know what’s been going on with my Dad will know why. For those of you who haven’t heard, my Father has pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable disease that slowly robs you of the ability to breathe. I posted on FB about it a few […]

After The Storm

October 27, 2015.Reading time 7 minutes.

Yesterday was another ride on my Trek Navigator bike, instead of the road bike, which is still in the shop. But that ended up being good, because the trail was almost impassible, due to storm debris. Especially on the creek portion of the trial, there was occasional thick mud and water, and even a wooden […]

A Violation of the Sanctuary

October 17, 2015.Reading time 14 minutes.

While on my bike ride yesterday I stopped at this spot to take this picture. Everybody in Dallas will know why. For those who do not, here’s a summary… Just five days ago, on Monday morning, our whole city was rocked by the news that a jogger, David Stevens, had been murdered on the trail. […]

Corny Dog Hero

October 13, 2015.Reading time 11 minutes.

I scarfed my traditional Fletcher’s Corny Dog at the State Fair yesterday. In fact, I had two. They were delicious, of course. But every year when I eat my Fletcher’s Corny Dog, my thoughts are taken away from the State Fair of Texas, to a most unlikely scene. Every year as I scarf my dog, […]

Thanks For Listening

October 1, 2015.Reading time 6 minutes.

(Friends: Today, I’m adding some original FB posts to my blog…posts I’ve made about my Dad in recent months…so that they are captured for posterity here…apologies for all these coming through your feed today….but thanks for understanding the need to keep the history…EF) If I ask you all to read this post, and do nothing […]

We Found Those Young People Your Church Has Been Looking For

September 20, 2015.Reading time 3 minutes.

Hey! Good news! We found those young people your church keeps saying they are looking for. You know, the next generation that we keep hoping will come in our doors and save us? Well, we saw a whole bunch of them today! Here they are: Here’s another view of more of them: Our church members […]

They Buried The Lead

September 18, 2015.Reading time 12 minutes.

In journalism school, we were taught to not “bury the lead.” Whatever the most important fact of a story is, don’t stick it way down in the middle. Put it right at the start, so everybody can read it clearly. Heather Hahn is out with a story on an updated survey on United Methodist views […]

The New Presidential Politics. Bought to You by Citizens United.

September 16, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

It’s been said we Americans get the government we deserve. We get the campaigns we deserve too. Right now, Donald Trump is the frontrunner in the Republican Party primary, much to the shock and chagrin of many. He held a rally in Dallas on Monday that drew 15,000 people to a downtown basketball arena. Lots […]

Happy Birthday, Divine Miss M

September 15, 2015.Reading time 12 minutes.

The very first game most babies play is “Peek-A-Boo.” Even before they can walk —when they can do little more than see a foot or two ahead— babies play this game for hours. Peek-A-Boo is all about going away and coming back. For a moment, a baby’s eyes are covered; and, for them, since they […]