Racial History Tour, Part 2!

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

On Saturday, twenty members and friends of Kessler Park United Methodist Church took our first “Racial History Tour” of Dallas (Also called “Part 1”). This was the first in a year-long series of events called “Sowing the Seeds of our Racial Justice Journey.”

Here are some pictures of the event.

We drove down Main St. and learned of lynchings in the Trinity Bottoms at “Martyr’s Park” and the story of Allen Brooks. We traveled through Deep Ellum to see just how freeways destroyed the African American section of the area located along “Central Track.” We talked about Stringtown and “Short North Dallas,” and payed homage at the Freedman’s Cemetery.

There we were blessed to bump into Pastor Eric’s old friend Rev. Clarence Glover who was able to add some truly important stories about the site.

We talked about the continued existence of the “Caruth Plantation House” (“Caruth Home Place”) and the amazing story of Anderson Bonner. Our trip to Bonton and Bonton Farms allowed us to talk abut the bombings of African American homes, red-lining, and the intentional neglect by the city of that area for many years.

We finished our tour close to home with a tour of the history of 10th Street area and a trip by the old Oak Cliff Ballfield where the Ku Klux Klan once held a week-long festival…after thousands of them marched to Oak Cliff from downtown.

We mediated on just how close these stories are to our church and committed to continue to learn as we both seek understanding and to be God’s people of justice in our time. Many thanks to our own Dr. Andrew McGregor for his work in putting this tour together, and his historian-eye view that added so much to the stories we heard.

Our next event will be Wednesday, February 15 at 7 pm: A history of Dallas’ Mexican-American community and will be a live panel discussion at the church.

Sol Villisana, Dr. Ruben Arellano, and our own Dennise Garcia will lead our conversation.

Learn about Little Mexico, West Dallas, and hear first-hand stories of Dallas’ Mexican-American history. Join us at the church for this event.

Because of the interest, IT IS VERY LIKELY THAT WE WILL OFFER THIS TOUR AGAIN, and perhaps offer a “Part 2” for those who attended Saturday.

If you are interested in attending “Part 1” when it’s offered again, we invite you to sign up on the online form at this link: Racial History Tour Sign-Up.

(We have no date/time as of yet. We are trying to gauge interest, to help in our planning for the future…) Please also see the schedule for the other events in the first part of 2023 and join us for our racial justice journey.

Homeless in Freezing Temps

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

This week it was again our honor to work with other churches and agencies to house the homeless in sub-freezing weather.

As with the past few winters, we’ve been using our KPUMC van this winter to drive around Dallas, find our unhoused neighbors and try to get them to shelter. I must admit, we were not able to get out these past few days when Dallas was covered in ice. We made the decision that, unlike the pure *snow* of previous years, this ice was too treacherous to navigate. Which does indeed break our hearts a little.

That said, I hope you are again proud of your Church for making the commitment to engage in this ministry as we safely can.

At the start, I want to note just how many Methodists are involved in these efforts. Of course, Oak Lawn UMC opens their shelter. But this year, Warren UMC is also opening up in the Fair Park area. And we are driving our van.

I saw pastors from FUMC, Dallas delivering food to the shelter on Monday. And Daniel Roby, who runs Austin Street Center, grew up in the United Methodist Church I served as a young man. (He was just a junior high kid, back then…very proud of who he has become…)

I share this previous paragraph to say:

There is much wrong with the institutional church. But our United Methodist “connection” can sometimes do remarkable things for the world. It is clear that United Methodists are the lead congregations in this effort in Dallas. In the midst of our ongoing church split, while much of that news is tragic, this news is very good.

That said, the stories are also heartbreaking.

On Monday night Andrew McGregor and I drove our “usual” routes around Oak Cliff and Oak Lawn. We are both hesitant to disclose actual locations of these camps, even as I am sharing a few pictures with you today.

Acting on tips from some of you (One of you actually went to check on some houseless neighbors in your own cars!) we were able to get a houseless neighbor off the streets. He was very near our church building. He told us that he’s an Oak Cliff neighbor and we talked about his love for the area.

Then he confidentially shared with us the location of *another* encampment we’d never seen before; one that is also very near our church.

This is one of the humbling things Andrew and I are seeing…that houseless neighbors have an implicit trust of us. They see the sign on the side of our van, they see my clergy collar, and they are willing to talk with us in a way we’re very confident they would not talk to folks from the government or police. And we, in turn, act so as to be worthy of their trust.

This is the power of Christ’s real ministry in God’s world.

The picture of this tent, as I said, was taken near our church at a “new-to-us” camp we’d never seen before. It’s one that I seriously doubt many folks know about.

The folks there did *not* want to come with us. But I’m glad we checked on them.

Later that night, we found a guy under a freeway underpass in a spot we also had never checked before. He did come with us and was incredibly grateful to our Church. Another gentleman was found from a tip we got at the Oak Lawn UMC shelter. He came with us. But his friends under their bridge did not. Before he left them, he threw more wood on the small fire pictured here, so his friends would hopefully stay warm.

I wanted you to see these pictures because I immediately recognized that tent from the first camp we found. It’s the exact same model I use every year at the folk festival. It’s rated for summer, not sub-freezing. And this small fire, burning under a bridge in our city, it’s surely no match for the cold of the past few days.

We must honor the choices of those who do not want our help. That’s their fundamental autonomy as humans. But these stories stay with us too. And given what you’ve experienced in your own homes the past few days, what we all have, I know you’ll join me in special prayer for those who choose to “stay out.”

Our Gospel lesson this Sunday says, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

This verse has always made me incredibly uncomfortable, because it feels like too many Christians use it as an excuse to say “Look at me! Look at how righteous I am!”

I think what Jesus had more in mind is that we show these very kinds of “good works;” not in a bragging or boastful way, but in the gratitude that God allows us to so serve our Oak Cliff community.

Jesus doesn’t want us to “brag” about our “good works.” But in this verse, I do think Jesus is trying to remind us —as we have all experienced this week— that the world is a cold, dark place. And so, any chance that we can be “light” to the world, that’s a good thing.

When we spread compassion, it sows the seeds for the compassion of others to grow, too. When we become a light to others, others will react with the light and love of God, shining out from them, too.

So, today, I’m proud of our church, but not boastful…how about you?

Meet Our New Bishop

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

Yesterday Pastor Kay and I attended our annual “Covenant Day” for clergy in the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. It was somewhat unique in two ways:
1. We met with clergy from the Central Texas Conference.
2. We met with our new Bishop, Ruben Saenz Jr.

Both were exciting developments.

Last week I shared with you an update about the United Methodist Church and our attempt to “go high” in the midst of sometimes pitiful and sad divisiveness by those leaving for the “Global Methodist Church.”

Yesterday’s clergy “Covenant Day” was filled with a new energy and excitement from those of us who remain United Methodist and dream of our future, more inclusive, Church.

Given the geographic size of our two annual conferences and the numbers of disaffiliations by some churches, it’s reasonable to assume that down the road “North Texas” and “Central Texas” Conferences will be united in one single unit.

“Central Texas Conference” is based in Fort Worth.
Our Annual Conference “North Texas” is based in Dallas.

A move toward this has already happened, in that Bishop Saenz will serve as Bishop of both areas. For now, there are still two conference buildings and two conference staffs. But it’s reasonable to assume an actual merger will likely happen in a few years.

While that seems like a challenging task and a lot of ground to cover, it’s actually happened before. As recently as the late 1980s, both areas were served by a common bishop. And, even as a combined group, the geographic area is still on par with other conferences in Texas. You can see the outline of those Annual Conferences HERE.

I invite you to watch this welcome video from Bishop Saenz. I have now only met him twice, but I am encouraged by my personal interactions with him and very encouraged by what others are saying about him.

https://youtu.be/WvKYWz3c-Ic

Of note for us here in North Texas is that as a young pastor, Bishop Saenz served churches in Oak Cliff and knows our community well.

Here’s his full bio:

Ruben Saenz Jr. is a native of south Texas and lifelong United Methodist. In 2016, he was elected bishop by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to the Great Plains Conference, based in Topeka, Kansas. On Jan. 1, 2022, he also assumed the episcopal leadership duties for the Central Texas Conference.

In his role as episcopal leader, Bishop Saenz has been a steadying and driving force for the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world during the turbulent times of emerging from COVID and churches discerning to disaffiliate from The UMC.

Bishop Saenz is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and a former high school teacher, high school football coach and businessperson. He earned his master’s of divinity and doctorate of ministry degrees from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University.

He served congregations in East Dallas, Oak Cliff Dallas, El Paso and Edinburg, Texas. El Buen Pastor (The Good Shepherd) in Edinburg was the largest Hispanic-American UMC in the country during his 10-year pastoral tenure. As a pastor, he focused his ministry on intentional spiritual practice and formation, developing a lay apostolate and equipping people with tools and encouragement to move out of generational poverty.

In 2010, he was appointed to serve as the Southwest Texas director of congregational and new church development, and he helped start 11 new churches before being appointed to director of conference connectional ministries and executive director of the Rio Texas Conference’s Mission Vitality Center in January 2015. In that role, he oversaw the conference’s missional strategies and objectives for congregational vitality, starting new churches, clergy and lay leadership vitality, uniting people and transforming communities.

He enjoys drawing and painting landscapes with various mediums, endurance cycling and high-intensity interval training, fishing and golfing, aromatic and flavorful cups of coffee from different regions of the world, visiting new places, meeting new people and watching NFL football. He has a growing interest in writing for publication, Meso/South American civilizations, Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and faith that does justice.

Bishop Saenz is married to Mayé. They have four adult children, all active in the life of The United Methodist Church. Two of their sons, Aaron and Ruben III, serve as pastors of growing congregations in the Rio Texas Conference. He and Mayé have nine grandchildren.