“An Unsinkable Faith” is a fitting description for John Furrow, the latest Legacy Award honoree in the series honoring Triad Baptist’s senior adults and their vital role passing on their legacies of faith to the next generation.

John Furrow, Triad’s latest Legacy Award winner, was on the USS Franklin when it was hit (above) during World War II.

On March 19, 1945, Furrow was a 19-year-old seaman aboard “Big Ben” (the USS Franklin aircraft carrier), when he felt he ship shudder from two bombs that penetrated its flight decks and set off an inferno. The explosions and fire would kill 724 men, wound 265 and become one of the U.S. Navy's worst losses of life in World War II.

In the fire room of one of the ship’s massive boilers, John survived by busting open a water supply line with a hammer and keeping his face near the rushing water for nearly four hours until rescue crews could open up the hatch above and a path to safety. He remembered his seaman's training that where there's running water there’s oxygen.

Right then and there, John says, he told the Lord that if He would let him live, he'd serve him the rest of his life and even milk the cow back home on the farm, which the Lord certainly knew he hated doing so much. John has done exactly that since then—even through tragedies such as the car wreck that nearly killed his 19-year-old son, Michael, who lives in an assisted living facility here in Kernersville and who John and his wife, Barbara, have cared for ever since.

John and Barbara moved to Kernersville from Roanoke in 2005 after he retired as service supervisor for Cummins Diesel, joined our church, and quickly became involved in the community.

Since then, he’s served battered women and their children as a longtime volunteer for The Next Step Ministries where he also serves on its board of directors. He and Barbara, members of the Encouragers Sunday School Class, also served for years on Triad’s Food and Fellowship Team.

Before joining Triad, John organized a drive to collect and deliver donations for Hurricane Floyd victims in Kinston, N.C., in 1999, and did the same as a Triad member not too many years later when he organized clothing shipments to flood victims on a relief and construction trip by the Nehemiah’s Few handyman ministry to West Virginia. Nehemiah’s Few and John have done many projects together since at Next Step.

John and Barbara’s daughters, Tammy Kish and Connie Powell, say both have been wonderful examples through their 61 years of marriage, their love for their children, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren, and their friendship to many, including so many at Triad.

Connie recalled one story that illustrated how the Furrows have long loved and served others. “One day a girl we didn’t know rang the doorbell. She said, ‘I hear you fix bicycles. Do you think you can fix mine?’ My dad said he’d take a look, went out to his garage, and soon had it good as new. He’s done things like that all his life.”

Decker presents the Legacy Award to John as Barbara looks on Oct. 20 at Triad.

Lead Pastor Rob Decker presented John with the Legacy Award plaque and Barbara with a gift basket Oct. 20 during the 10 a.m. traditional service.

John said later that the award took him by surprise. “I was so totally surprised,” he said. “You can’t believe what it meant to me no longer than I have been a member and with so many others more deserving who have been at Triad much longer. I was thrilled to receive the award, and Barbara and I are grateful to know and have served alongside so many of them.

“It’s a wonderful thing the church is doing honoring seniors in this way.”

Asked once why he loves to serve, John said something that describes the couple well. “I've never had a lot of money but always have been blessed with health and time and have tried to put those to use in the same way others have cared for me,” John said, pointing to the Christ who continues to sustain them both well into their 80s.

“ I've learned that when you rely on Jesus,” John added, “there's nothing that can sink you.”