Eric Folkerth

Sr. Pastor, Kessler Park United Methodist Church, Dallas TX

Eric Folkerth is the Senior Pastor of Kessler Park United Methodist Church in Dallas TX. Eric has served churches in the Dallas area for over 30 years. In addition to serving as a pastor with a passion for missions and justice, Eric has a passion for music and especially folk music and is a singer / songwriter.

Eric has been finalist at the South Florida Folk Festival Competition, and the 5th Street Festival. He was a semi-finalist at the Wildflower Festival competition. His songs have won Honorable Mention in the Billboard Songwriter Contest, the Great American Song Contest, and have been part of a United Nations project, called "New Songs for Peace."

He's has shared the stage with the many contemporary songwriters, such as David Wilcox, Joan Baez, Tom Prasada-Rao, Cary Cooper, Terri Hendrix, James McMurtry, Jana Stanfield, The Burns Sisters, Rachel Bissex, Peter Mayer, Bethany Yarrow, Rhett Butler, Beth Wood, Brad Thompson, Elizabeth Wills, Bill Nash and Annie Benjamin.

Eric is a founding member of "Connections," a "cover band" of Methodist ministers and layfolks whose shows have raise money for charity. The band plays free-show tributes to classic artists like Dan Fogelberg, The Eagles, Chicago, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Elton John, the Doobie Brothers, and dozens more. 100 percent of a "love offering" goes to support two worthy charities. The band has now played more than 50 shows for tens of thousands of fans, and raised more than $360,000.

Eric is chief blogger at"When EF Talks;" covering music, religion, politics, sports, and what ever else he feels like. There are now more than 900 entries on the blog, and it is widely read my many. A podcast based on this mix of interests is in the works.

He is married to Dennise Garcia. She is a State District Judge in the Dallas County Family Courts. Judge Garcia is the longest serving State Distirct Judge in Dallas County, and the first Latina ever elected to the state bench there. She also performed the first Same Sex wedding in Texas, after the Obergerfell decision.

They live in a unique log house in the heart of Old East Dallas, and have the world's smartest and most beautiful daughter, Maria, and an amazing dog, Daisy.