Brian Burchett, from left, talks with fellow Truth in Nature mentors Tim Pinkard and Parker Black Wednesday, June 17 at Burchett’s sprawling farm near Water Valley.

Young men today come from more varied and heterogenous family backgrounds than they did when Brian Burchett was growing up — and even more so if you go back another generation or two. 

“They don’t all get the same family environment; the same structure with a mother and a father at home, and it really leaves some of them at a disadvantage,” says Burchett. “But for the ones in our program, we’re hoping we can help turn that around.”

Burchett and a closely-vetted group of local volunteers are embarking on the first steps toward making regional nonprofit Truth in Nature a household name among the Cullman area’s list of outreach organizations. The faith-based program, begun in Georgia and new to Cullman, is aimed at providing mentorship and life skills for local boys who don’t have a strong male presence in their lives.

“It’s a ministry, and it’s also a way to share with young men some of the more outdoor activities and skills that, as time passes, fewer and fewer boys get the chance to learn about,” Burchett explains. “Those two things really go hand in hand in the way that Truth in Nature operates.  Our goal is to teach them what it means to be a Godly man, and to do it by mentoring them at a time in their lives when it really makes a difference.”

Burchett and his family recently moved to Cullman County, a place where his wife Bethany has strong family ties. At first, the idea was to get away from the city; to find a small farm and — if the opportunity was right — identify a children’s program where doing outreach could really take root in young lives. But after things fell just right, the Burchetts ended up with a sprawling ranch-sized farm near Water Valley, making for an ideal venue to stage something a little more ambitious.

“Before we moved here, we’d started praying for the Lord to showing us where we should be, and that led us here,” Brian told The Times earlier this year. “Then one day I called my pastor about getting direction on what kind of outreach we could do here, and he said, ‘Guess what? We had a guy here at our church yesterday!’ — and then he told me all about this organization called Truth in Nature. Now, a few months later…here we are.”

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic temporarily halted the organization’s plans to introduce itself to the community, but that’s about to change. Later this month, the local chapter of Truth in Nature will host an open house at Sportsman Lake Park, inviting the community out for free barbecue and kids’ activities, where people can meet the mentors who’ve already signed on — and learn about how they can get involved.

“I think an organization like ours needs that kind of introduction; it needs some time for people to learn about who we are and what our mission is,” Burchett explained. “We’ve remained active on social media throughout the [coronavirus] shutdown, and have been engaging with people so they can get to know Truth in Nature and what our focus is. I think that once people recognize us as a part of the community, the support will come.”

Local men who volunteer for the program go through a rigorous background check, and those who go to become mentors bring different sets of outdoor skills to the mix. “Brian says that he always prayed that he’d be able to find the right way to use this land, and when he brought us this idea, it was right up my alley,” says Parker Black, one of the group’s first mentors. “I’m a horse guy, so anything we do out here that involves horse riding, that’ll be me.”

Outdoor activities will start out following a simple day camp formula. At Burchett’s farm, there’s plenty of fishing, four-legged farming, and forest exploration to keep kids (and adults) busy for an entire weekend day. But as more mentors join up and bring more expertise, boys also will have a chance to go on field trips and camping excursions for hands-on experience in everything from woodworking to the essentials of wilderness survival. 

“At that age, they really learn by doing, and a lot of times, they learn that it’s something they really enjoy,” Burchett explains. “But that’s also a great way to help teach values; about things that don’t just help them perform a task; but that also help them grow into good men. We feel like the world needs more good men — men who value family and their relationship with God — and we’re really hoping to provide that for boys who don’t have a lifeline to that through no fault of their own.”

Truth in Nature will host its Sportsman Lake open house on Saturday, June 27 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. To learn more about Brian and the Cullman chapter of Truth in Nature, as well as the organization’s mission and background, visit truthinnature.org and navigate to the Cullman chapter. To learn more about sponsoring the nonprofit or becoming a mentor, contact Brian Burchett at 256-591-2902 or via email at brian.burchett@truthinnature.org.

Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.