Deacons —
Ed Garcia
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
I have agreed to serve as a deacon because I have felt called to volunteer in several areas of the church and I feel I have more to offer and more to learn. I feel there is an opportunity to grow into a new level of stewardship that will benefit the needs of the church, our community, our youth, and myself. This seems to be the path I am grateful for and look forward to the opportunity to serve and grow with the church and this community.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
The lesson that God has provided me lately is to appreciate your family and friends and community. Do everything you can to remain connected with those who mean the most to you. Me, my friends, and family have gained strength and comfort from helping each other. We have been fortunate to have a church family that shows they care for me and my family and remind me of God’s love.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
When I am not at church, my life is about my family. As the father of a two-year-old, every day is an adventure! I come from a large family and frequently travel to spend time with them celebrating life events. When I am fortunate enough to have some free time, I have a passion for cooking and baking and love to create meals for friends and family.
Robert (Bob) Kennedy
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
First Presbyterian has been an important part of my life for many years. In fact, I am defined in large part by the opportunities to serve this community and the blessings I have received here. I feel supported, uplifted, and valued here as a part of this body of Christ. This church cared for my late wife with unbelievable love. Now that I am in a different place and approaching retirement, I have an opportunity to use my gifts again to shine the light in my own small way to serve this church and help to work out God’s purpose for us here in downtown Dallas.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
Music is a language of God. God is a mystery. Don’t try to put God in a Box. There is a lot of noise out there but listen with intent to the voice of God.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
I sing with the Arts District Chorale and serve on their Board as Treasurer. I also sing with the Plano Civic Chorus and Chamber Choir. When not singing, I hit the gym and cycle, and see my son and family when I can. My wife Stella and I go to Colombia at least once a year to see family there.
Beth Ann Jones
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
My husband and I have been members for a number of years since moving to Dallas in 2007. We visited many churches before finding a great fit in First Presbyterian. I have been a greeter for a few years but have not really gotten involved in any other groups that serve the church.
My hope is that I can contribute to our church in a meaningful way.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
God has been trying to teach me patience and to engage in the present. I pray that physically participating in the life of the church will tether me to the here and now.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
I am a member of a volunteer women’s group called the Junior Charity League of Dallas that raises money for Parkland Rehab unit and additionally requires its members to serve 15 hours of community service each year with various community organizations (i.e., Stewpot).
I am involved in tennis, cycling, and I am an artist doing commissioned pet portraits.
We have two sons and a granddaughter who all live in New York. We spend time visiting them and other family members throughout the year.
Bill McFarland
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
Raised in another denomination, I’ve been a Presbyterian for over 40 years and I’ve been attending FPC about 12 years. During that entire time, our Reformed traditions have been warm, gracious, accepting, and strengthening—particularly the fellow travelers in our G5 Men’s Bible Study and a similar men’s Bible study at Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin. I’ve been a Stephen Minister at FPC for over 8 years; Stephen Ministers provide one-to-one, Christ-centered care to people in the congregation and the community who are going through a crisis or a life difficulty. I have seen the difference caring ministries can make in my life and in the lives of other people, and I believe serving as a Deacon will continue to provide personal growth while following Jesus’ command to serve others even as we are served by others.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
Tolerance. Our country seems badly divided politically with partisanship everywhere. I believe Jesus teaches us to serve each other even when we don’t agree with everything that “others” are doing or advocating. He is teaching me to do a better job of accepting those with whom I do not fully agree while holding true to my own principles.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
I work as a management consultant in the banking industry, I serve on the Board of Directors of 2 not-for-profit organizations focused on helping those with cerebral neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson Disease and an Atypical Parkinsonism called PSP or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy), and I try to model for my family—wife, children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, cousins and in-laws—the love God has shown me. (I must confess that is easier with my wife Ileen, my 2 grown children Joel McFarland and Joanna Owusu, and my 5 wonderful grandchildren than with some of the cousins and in-laws 😊).
Betsy Porter
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
I agreed to serve as a Deacon after prayerful consideration. I felt that this was a way that God was working through me to enable me to serve my church in a way that I could give back to the church and the congregation for all the many blessings I have received over the years at First Presbyterian.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
God has been teaching me to listen to the cues that have been popping up over the course of the last 19 months. God has taught me to listen in the midst of stillness, to be patience, and to be very open to opportunities for growth.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
When I am not at church, I spend my time teaching yoga 1-2x weekly, my retirement "gig." I have 2 very large Great Pyrenees that require long walks and frequent brushing! I volunteer at the Arboretum planting, digging in the beautiful garden with the horticulture staff. I have 2 grown sons and their beautiful families, one set in Austin and the other in Brooklyn, NY. Traveling often to see the grandchildren. Most recently I have become involved in Faith and Grief, volunteering for the Gathering Lunches at FPC Dallas.
Elders —
Russ Coleman
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
To support the ministries and growth of the church.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
That I am a stubbornly slow learner and God is forgiving of my missteps.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
Marty and I enjoy camping with a tow-behind fiberglass trailer, both of us working part-time. I volunteer with an organization dedicated to exposing the public health harms of commercial gambling, with a group seeking to bring ranked choice voting to Texas elections, and with a foundation supporting Forefront Living’s Faith Presbyterian Hospice.
Larry Dykstra
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
I am excited about the future possibilities for FPC given the significant changes taking place in our downtown neighborhood. As we pursue new opportunities and establish new relationships, it is my hope that we will find ways to balance excitement about the future with an appreciation for our rich history as a congregation.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
With the aid of my wife Sandy, God continues to teach me to not focus so much on the destination, but rather to value the journeys we take through life, both large and small. This “journeying” mindset requires me to slow down, notice and appreciate what I see and sense around me, and to be spontaneous.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
Lately, a great deal of writing and editing. I now have three published books plus a fourth which is nearing completion:
Musical Hugs: Succeeding through Serving, One Song at a Time documents my journey from corporate career to volunteer work, sharing stories of the positive impact I witnessed while bringing music to severely ill children.
In the Service of My Country: I Never Regretted a Day - My late father’s memoir provides accounts of the fifty missions he completed as flight engineer on a B-24 bomber during World War II, bearing witness to the tragedy and triumph that accompany war.
Music on a Mission: The Story of KidLinks covers the history of a nonprofit organization that emerged out of unexpected origins and overcame countless challenges to provide the power of music for children in need for 40 years and counting.
Redemption from Pluto: Things I Have Learned Worth Sharing includes vignettes that offer life insights into my relationship with myself, with others, with the world around me, and with God. (Forthcoming)
Stacy Brainin Cobb
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
Honored to be asked and hope I can give back to this wonderful church.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
Gratitude
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
Well, I am a busy attorney most of the time but spend my spare time with family and friends in Dallas and Steamboat Springs.
Phyllis Bevel
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
God is doing a lot of new things at our church, and I want to be a part of it all!!! I have been a member of this church my entire life, and the people in this church are my family. It is always an honor to serve the Lord and this congregation in any way that I can.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
There is a time and a season for everything in God’s plan for my life. God is teaching me to be patient with His plan for my life. It’s not always easy for me to be patient; however, when I slow down and see the new things that God is doing with me and for me, the benefits are extravagant!
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
I am blessed with two amazing children, so any time I spend with them is a great day! I also enjoy travelling with my friends, and I enjoy watching and supporting any sport the Baylor Bears are competing in. Sic’em Bears!!!
James Voelker
1. Tell us why you agreed to serve as a Deacon or Elder.
I am excited about the direction FPC is headed and I want to play whatever role I can in helping the church to contribute to a broader mission and ministry that reflects the servant leaders we are called to be.
2. What has God been teaching you lately?
That my notions of what I viewed as a “church” and “worship” experience were unnecessarily constrained, and I underestimated the extent to which stepping away from the “familiar” would open the door to the unexpected.
3. What do you do with your time when you are not at church?
I enjoy spending time with my wife Kelly and our son Jack, and experiencing the roller coaster of six year-old team sports (or really six year-old anything).
Class of 2028 Board of Foundation Trustees
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Thella Bowens
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Leah Jordan
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Sharon King
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Jim O’Bannon
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Julius Zsohar III