A father’s faith at the heart of family

Jason Burks was on a national stage of sorts in college, standing more than 6’5 and weighing 300 pounds and a key blocker in a potent Georgia Tech offense.

As the pulling guard on the team, the Vinemont native cleared holes for All American quarterback Joe Hamilton, a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1999.

Burks, with his size and skill on the football field, having twice earned all-conference honors, considered professional football, just as his standout quarterback did.

But through prayer and good memories of his raising in Cullman County, he passed on continuing his career and remained at Georgia Tech to complete his degree in business management and now works at Agcor Steel in Good Hope.

“As a kid I dreamed of playing college football, and I was able to do that,” Burks said. “I was coached in high school at Hartselle by some coaches who ended up in the pros, but I did a lot of praying. After four years of playing at a major college, it takes a toll on you.”

With the satisfaction of an outstanding football career in college, Burks has turned the discipline and commitment of football into devotion to God and his family.

“What I see in fatherhood comes from what I remember growing up in Vinemont where my family had a chicken farm,” Burks said. “The best thing my parents did was take us to church. They knew it was beneficial for my brother and me to learn about God, to learn Christian values that are needed to give you faith and strength throughout your life.”

Aside from the influence of his parents, Burks, an active member of Cornerstone Church of Nazarene in Cullman, gives special credit to his wife, Michael, a seventh-grade English teacher at West Point Middle School.

“I’m blessed and grateful I married a godly woman,” Burks said. “We have a lot of discussions about biblical principles and we spend a lot of time together as family in prayer.”

A core in the Burks’ parenting is Proverbs 22:6: “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Cornerstone Pastor Joe McNulty said Burks puts a lot of energy into the church, especially with the youth program.

“You see it in their family,” McNulty said. “I look at Jason as a great father and committed to the worship and teaching here.”

While raising his daughters, Burks said he prays that they will stay close in their faith. For his part, along with his wife, they plan plenty of time together with their daughters — Maggie, 13, Nora, 9, Emerson, 5 — for fun, certainly, but also to available when questions arise about something heard at school or among friends.

“Sometimes you start to cringe when one of those questions starts,” Burks said, “but being open and honest and allowing them to think is good. That’s where we work to stay grounded in Christ, our faith, so that we can answer questions or discuss their concerns and feelings through God’s wisdom. We’re involved in sports and we go to dinners together, so you never know when these conversations will come up, but you want to be there.”

With Father’s Day on Sunday, Burks said his family will be at Cornerstone for worship, then spend time visiting and honoring two other fathers and mothers who have played important roles in their lives — his parents, Hugh and Jackie Burks, and his wife’s parents, Charlie and Elaine Montgomery.

“Other than just get a little rest, we want to visit with them, because they raised us and we’re grateful for what they to us,” he added.

 

David Palmer may be contacted at 256-734-2131, ext. 116.