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.

Why We Should Elect Judges

November 23, 2006.Reading time 18 minutes.

In the days after the election, everyone from Republican partisans to Steve Blow raised up a clarion call we’ve heard before: Why do we elect judges? Isn’t there a better way? Well, in short, there may be a better way to elect judges, but there is not a better way to get judges than through […]

Free Speech and Our Elections

November 23, 2006.Reading time 10 minutes.

The following stories are ones I have waited to share for two years. Each of them happened during the campaign of 2004, when my wife originally ran for judge in Dallas County. I did not share them until now, because in no way did I want to affect (positively or negatively) her election campaign this […]

Why Democrats Won in Dallas County

November 23, 2006.Reading time 35 minutes.

Many people have already written about the Democrat’s win in Dallas County. Here is a very good essay by Ken Molberg that covers much of the same ground that I will here. I think Ken is quite right in almost everything he says. (UPDATE (12.16.06): The Lone Star Project has now released their own report […]

Election Night 2006

November 23, 2006.Reading time 9 minutes.

On the day after early voting ended, I decided to do a little analysis of the vote, based on a quick and dirty formula I personally devised. You should know that I am not the best “detail” person in the world. I don’t do trees very well. But I do forests exquisitely. So, I took […]

Judge Dennise Garcia Video

October 24, 2006.Reading time 1 minute.

Wanted to give you a heads up about the new campaign video from my wife, Judge Dennise Garcia. It’s a website video, intended for you to: 1) watch for yourself, and then 2) send off to your friends with a note about Dennise and why they should vote for her. Click here to watch the […]

Judge Merrill Hartman

October 21, 2006.Reading time 11 minutes.

In the midst of this election season, it’s seems a good time to remember a judge who is retiring, and whose legacy will stay with the Dallas Community for years to come. The judge is Merrill Hartman, and he is retiring from the bench after being a State District Judge in Dallas County since 1984. […]

Rest in Peace, Buck…

October 20, 2006.Reading time 3 minutes.

For all of those who are regular readers of my blog, you may be worried that I’ve fallen off the planet or something. Nothing of the sort. But, with the election looming, now eighteen-days-away, things are little hectic around our household. Every spare moment I have these past few weeks has been devoted to working […]

Yard Signs: We’ve Got ‘Em, and You Need One.

September 28, 2006.Reading time 2 minutes.

The Re-Elect Judge Dennise Garcia campaign continues to roll along through September. The big push this month for the Judge is to attend a lot of campaign events. The big push for her many volunteers and friends has been to get out the yard signs. Several of you have told me that you have seen […]

Judge Garcia Gets the Dallas Morning News Endorsement

September 19, 2006.Reading time 2 minutes.

The buttons are popping off my shirt today, and not because I haven’t been exercising. This morning, the Dallas Morning News has come out with it’s editorial endorsements for the Family District Courts in Dallas County. My favorite Judge, Dennise Garcia, gets the nod for her court, the 303rd State District Court. Every now and […]

Eagles/Chicago Tribute Show Update

September 15, 2006.Reading time 5 minutes.

Well, I broke my promise to you. I promised that I’d keep you updated on the Eagles/Chicago Tribute Show. The show is just two days away, and so I obviously have done a poor job. Here’s the scoop on the show: Tribute to the Music of The Eagles and Chicago 7 pm, September 16th Wesley […]