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.
It’s hard to fathom that I haven’t written anything on immigration in so long. Not to brag, but I was writing on immigration before immigration was cool. Or, at least, before there was a bill that stood a chance of passing. So, now, the Dream Act is before us. It’s got some chance of passing, […]
Went back to the cardiologist yesterday for a check up. First time back since my procedure about six weeks ago. To refresh your memory, a few months back, I was diagnosed with “extra beats” in my heart rhythm. The technical term is “Premature Ventricular Contraction,” or PVC. (“Like the pipe,” the doc sez) If you […]
Today is “Loving Day,” the day where the Loving Case is celebrated all across the nation. The Loving Case, as you may recall, was the Supreme Court case that struck down laws across the nation which prevented interracial marriage. If you’re unfamiliar, here’s an old report from ABC News: Obviously, Dennise and I have always […]
Been texting with my friend, Rev. Sid Hall tonight, and I really can’t express it any better than he has done, regarding the news out of the SW Texas Conference today: “The church not only does harm to loving and qualified people for ministry in taking such action, but makes a profound theological statement by […]
Apparently, the list of people you should not to listen to has grown by one. The new inductee is Rev. E. W. Jackson, a minister from Virginia who also happens to be running for Lieutenant Governor. The most recently-covered outrageous statement he’s made as to do with yoga. It’s from a book he wrote some […]
Twenty years ago today, at 4 pm, The Judge and me walked down the long aisle at Highland Park Methodist and said our wedding vows. As I knew would eventually be the case, I can’t consciously recall much about that day now, and so I’m mighty pleased to have the pictures. The first thing that […]
Ever since my medical tests last week, I’ve been visited by a vague and unsettled feeling. A restlessness of a sort. It’s a feeling that something’s changed even though, technically, nothing has. It’s not physical. Physically? I’m great. In fact, I’m better-than-great. I mean, what a gift to know (as the cardiologist said) my arteries […]
It’s hard to take in these two scandals rocking the Obama Administration right now. First, on Friday, the news that the IRS specifically targeted conservative groups. Tea Party Groups Today, the news that the Department of Justice had been surveilling the phones of Associated Press reporters. There is certainly no love lost for me when […]
Very pleased to be a part of DreamUMC’s 1st Anniversary “Sync Blog“ tonight. The assignment for this blog is its title. Although, if I had a “do-over” on this entry, I’d title this blog: “Game Theory And the Possibility of Schism.” I’m going to take the question literally, and answer it as such. I’m also […]
Ordained ministry is not the only profession struggling with the role of women in leadership. Truthfully, I don’t know how we fare when set alongside other major professions. My hunch is, in some ways, the church is doing better than other professions. In other ways, probably far worse. These issues are difficult, of course, precisely […]
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