Ministers: The Congregation
There are currently over five-hundred and fifty members of the congregation with many others calling Northaven their church home. Vital worship and music, interest in the arts, outreach to the city of Dallas, sensitivity to matters of inclusiveness and warmth of fellowship are only some of the things that continue to attract people to this intimate and active congregation.
Eric
Folkerth
Senior Pastor
214-363-2479
Eric has been pastor of Northaven since 2001. He served eleven years as associate pastor at Highland Park UMC in Dallas. His tenure at Northaven has seen the construction of Northaven's new church building and more than 220 new members join the Northaven community. Eric has led or co-led hundreds of persons on mission trips around the globe, to places such as Mexico, Haiti, Russia and Nepal. He has worked with lay persons to build ten homes, and one Community Center, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Dallas. Eric is an award-winning, singer-songwriter whose first CD was released in 2000. His wife, Dennise Garcia, is a State District Judge in Dallas County. They have one daughter, Maria.
Mary
Lowrance
Minister of Spiritual Formation
214-363-2479
Mary is a native of Fort Worth and a graduate of Brite Divinity School at TCU. She served as an ordained elder for over ten years in the Central Texas Conference; in churches such as First United Methodist in Arlington and FUMC Fort Worth. During her years of service, Mary's experience as an associate minister included areas such as youth ministry, Christian education, older adult ministries, evangelism. She has also served as a pastor-in-charge. She brings a wide range of experiences in the local church ministry with her. Mary left ordained ministry in the UMC when she took a position as pastor of Christian discipleship at the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas. Most recently she has served as chaplain and bereavement counselor at Community Hospice of Texas. Mary has a son, and lives in Fort Worth with her partner, Jaye.
Valinda
Woods O'Connor
Minister of Music and the Arts
214-363-2479
Valinda joined the Northaven staff in June, 2001. She came to us from First United Methodist Church in McKinney, where she served as Director of Music and the Arts, which included directing and coordinating a full, graded choir program including choirs for all ages, handbells, organ, and an arts council. Valinda has also served First United Methodist Church of Allen, Preston Hollow Presbyterian, NorthPark Presbyterian, and Lake Highlands United Methodist churches. Valinda attended Columbia University in New York (toward a doctorate in choral music), received her Master of Sacred Music degree from Union Theological Seminary in New York, and earned her B.A. in Organ Performance from Converse College in South Carolina. Born and reared in Roanoke, Virginia, Valinda still considers the South "home". Valinda is married to Rick O'Connor and lives in the Lake Highlands area of Dallas with Rick's two daughters, Maggie and Claire, and Valinda's sons, Mark, John and Will when they are home from school.
Richard
Newton
Youth Director
214-363-2479
Richard is a graduate of Texas Christian University, and a student at Perkins School of Theology. Richard is a candidate for ministry in the Texas Annual Conference, and hails from the Houston area. He is fluent in Spanish and Biblical Greek. He has been on eight mission trips around the world. He and his wife, Sarah, are recently married and live near SMU.
Christopher
Anderson
Organist
214-363-2479
Christopher moved to Dallas this summer to assume the newly created position of Associate Professor of Sacred Music at SMU, where he will lead the program with Michael Hawn. His PhD from Duke is in Organ Performance Practice, and he joins the SMU faculty in a tenured status. While at his former academic post at the University of North Dakota, Christopher served a local congregation in a similar part-time organist position. Chris and his wife Lisa have a three-year-old daughter, Erica.
Mindy
Dague
Office Administrator
214-363-2479
Mindy joined our staff in February of 2008 as our Office Administrator. She was previously in administration at University Park UMC in Dallas in their well known day school. She lives in Richardson with her son.
Kathy
Delsanter
Director Northaven Cooperative Preschool
214-691-7666
Kathy has been director of the Co-op School since 1974. She grew up in New York and has BA and MS degrees from Cornell University in psychology and child development and a PhD in early childhood education from East Texas State University. She has taught on the adjunct Child Development faculty at Brookhaven College. Kathy has a daughter, Michele, and a son, Doug.
Chuck
Cummings
Building Supervisor
214-363-2479
Chuck joined the Northaven staff in September of 2005. He has been in the custodial field for over 25 years. In his spare time, Chuck is a rock-in-roll drummer and has played with several bands in the past few years. (Cornerstone, Third Story) He owns enough musical instruments to open a small music store!
Joanne
Flores
Nursery Coordinator
214-363-2479
Joanne has been our nursery coordinator for almost seven years. Her full-time job is as a part of the staff of the Wesley-Rankin Community Center, where she recently celebrated 20 years of employment. A lifelong resident of Dallas, Joanne helps coordinate our nursery workers, and keep our children safe.
Key Lay Leaders:
Chair, Leadership Council: Rebecca Bergstresser
Chair, Program Council: Beth LaBella
Chair, Staff-Parish Commission: Terry Lowery
Chair, Trustees: Rick O'Connor
Lay Leader: Ken Benson
Contact any of these lay leaders at:
Northaven United Methodist
Church
11211 Preston Road
Dallas, Texas 75230
Telephone 214-363-2479
Fax: 214-373-3972
All
contents © 2008 by Northaven United Methodist
Church
