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.

Quick Thoughts On Today’s Non-Violent Witness

July 31, 2014.Reading time 7 minutes.

We are safe. We are healthy. All is well. Today’s action went incredibly well, any way you choose to look at it. More than 100 faith leaders (Many clergy. Even Bishops) chose to be arrested at the White House, as a witness against our nation’s treatment of immigrants, calling the President and Congress to act. […]

Remembering the Bullet Holes

July 31, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

Today’s #TBT is this picture from 2005. It was taken on our mission trip that year, to visit our friends at Maria Madre de los Pobres Church in San Salvador. In case it’s not clear, the picture is a bullet hole. It’s a bullet hole in the parish house wall. It’s a bullet hole you […]

Calling Our Nation To Do More On Immigration

July 29, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

A reflection from Dr. Owen Ross and Rev. Eric Folkerth: Tomorrow, the two of us will travel to Washington DC to take part in a non-violent action to support just treatment of immigrants by our government and people. More than 150 clergy will join us from across the United States, as we make our witness, […]

A War To End All Wars

July 29, 2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

On the SMU campus just behind Perkins Hall Administration, tucked beneath a grove of stately oaks, you’ll find this small memorial. I first stumbled across it more than twenty-years-ago now, during my frequent nighttime perambulations around campus. If you’ve driven down Hillcrest anytime during your life, you’ve zipped past it. Maybe hundreds of times. But […]

Lake Selfie

July 25, 2014.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Eating Always Involves Death

July 15, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

For years, I’ve liked to say: “Eating always involves death.” There is no way around this. Native Americans realized this and used to pray prayers of thanks for the animals/plants that had given their lives so that they could eat. That’s not to say that, given the factory methods that many animals are processed as […]

Half Empty. Half Full.

July 11, 2014.Reading time less than 1 minute.

When Something Blocks The Path

July 7, 2014.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Remember the Lady of the Harbor

July 4, 2014.Reading time 4 minutes.

Maybe the people of Murietta are just too many miles from the Lady of the Harbor. Maybe in their comfortable Southern California town, far away from Liberty’s statue, it’s just too easy to forget that we’re all immigrants.; and that even the men (yes, men) who signed the declaration we celebrate this day were also all […]