Published 06:27 IST, November 12th 2019
Jimmy Carter manages to draw devotees to a church at the age of 95
Former President of US, Jimmy Carter at the age of 95, the nation's oldest ever ex-president is still teaching a Sunday school nearly twice a month at a church.
Former President of US, Jimmy Carter at the age of 95, the nation's oldest ever ex-president is still teaching a Sunday school nearly twice a month at Maranatha Baptist Church in his small hometown of Plains in southwest Georgia. He still manages to attract devotees from all over who gather before daybreak in an old pecan grove surrounding his country church.
The teacher is the 39th President of the US. The devotees said they come for the purpose of "simple decency and devotion wrapped up in a Bible chapter". He left his office nearly four decades ago and despite his and failing health he still provides a lesson and his message is all about Jesus.
Carter has been drawing crowds for years
The church has limited 30-40 members but is attended by as many as 450 people any week Carter teaches. Around 200 people filled the hall with pale-green walls and stained glass windows, and the rest of them gather inside rooms where the lesson is shown on TVs.Carter has been drawing crowds for years and those who attended Carter's most recent lesson on November 3 said that they wanted to be in presence of someone who seems to be kind, humble and godly despite having been a world leader.
Visitors come from a long way to attend Carter
A visitor, Doug Kluth said he is a role model and an inspiration for them. He added that he and his wife Ramona drove 2,400 miles to and from their home in Columbus, Nebraska to see Carter in person.
Another visitor John and Sarah Dyer included their four daughters ages between 2 to 12 into their Honda Pilot for the 1,700-mile (2,736-kilometer) round trip to Plains from suburban Chicago. The crowd on the first Sunday in November included Chet Mulholland, an evangelical Christian from Wisconsin and Joey and Sabrina Fretwell, faithful churchgoers from conservative Mississippi. The church was formed in 1977.
Updated 07:04 IST, November 12th 2019