HERE
HERE IS
HERE IS GONZALO, THEN THERE IS ANOTHER TROPICAL SYSTEM OFF THE
COAST OF AFRICA.
STAY WITH US, WE WILL LOOK AT
ALL OF THESE, COMING UP.
>>> PRESIDENT CARTER HAS BEEN
TEACHING SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR MOST
OF HIS LIFE.
IT IS AS MUCH A PART OF HIM AS
HUMANITARIAN WORKS, PEANUTS,
AND GEORGIA.
AND GEORGIA. IT HAS BEEN PART OF OUR LIVES
IN THE STATE FOR 40 YEARS.
MISTER CARTER HAS BEEN A
CONSTANT IN OUR STATE SINCE THE
EARLY 1960S.
EARLY 1960S. A STATE LEGISLATOR, A GOVERNOR,
A PRESIDENT.
A PRESIDENT. BUT TIME IMPACTS ALL OF US,
EVEN GREAT MEN.
>> DO WE HAVE ANY BUSINESS THIS
MORNING?
MORNING?
MORNING? >> Reporter: ONE OF THE MOST
BELOVED TRADITIONS OF OUR
REGION AND STATE HAS QUIETLY
COME TO AN END.
THERE IS HOPE FOR A RESUMPTION,
BUT THE REALITY HAS SUNK IN.
PRESIDENT CARTER, THE WORLD'S
BEST-KNOWN SUNDAY SCHOOL
TEACHER, NO LONGER SHEPHERDING
FOLKS.
FOLKS.
FOLKS. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, ALONG
WITH CHALLENGES OF ADVANCING
AGE FOR THE NATION'S OLDEST
LIVING PRESIDENT HAS BECOME TOO
MUCH.
MUCH.
MUCH. THE
MUCH. THE TINY BAPTIST CHURCH, A
BRICK BUILDING AMONGST THE
PECAN TREES, HAS ABOUT 30
MEMBERS, BUT AS MANY AS 450
ATTEND WHEN PRESIDENT CARTER
TEACHES.
TEACHES.
TEACHES. KIM FULLER IS THE OLDEST
DAUGHTER OF PRESIDENT CARTER'S
LATE BROTHER, BILLY CARTER.
>> YOU HAVE TO CONVINCE HIM
THAT HE CANNOT TEACH SUNDAY
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. HE WAS LAYING IN BED AND I
I DON'T THINK YOU NEED TO TEACH
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
SUNDAY SCHOOL. HE SAID, OKAY.
>> Reporter: SHE HAS SERVED AS
A REGULAR REPLACEMENT FOR HER
UNCLE, THE 39th PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES.
I ASKED IF PRESIDENT CARTER IS
OKAY WITH NOT TEACHING THE
CLASS AGAIN.
CLASS AGAIN. >> PROBABLY NOT AND I TELL HIM
ALL THE TIME, WHEN YOU ARE
READY TO COME BACK, LET ME
KNOW.
KNOW.
KNOW. HE
KNOW. HE WILL WHEN HE FEELS
COMFORTABLE, IF HE FEELS
COMFORTABLE.
COMFORTABLE. I DON'T THINK IT IS OKAY WITH
HIM.
HIM.
HIM. >>
HIM. >> Reporter: THE EXPERIENCE ON
A SUNDAY MORNING WITH PRESIDENT
CARTER AND MRS. CARTER IN
ATTENDANCE IS UNFORGETTABLE.
ARRIVE EARLY IN THE PARKING LOT
IS FULL.
IS FULL.
IS FULL. I ATTENDED WITH
PHOTOJOURNALIST THE WEEK AFTER
THE EMORY UNIVERSITY
ANNOUNCEMENT THAT PRESIDENT
CARTER HAD BRAIN CANCER IN
2015.
2015.
2015. 1000 PEOPLE SHOWED UP.
WE WERE ADMITTED TO THE PARKING
LOT AT THE CHURCH AND YOU COULD
SLEEP IN YOUR CAR UNTIL
SUNRISE.
SUNRISE.
SUNRISE. THE LESSON WAS MOVING.
HE SPOKE OF MORAL IMPROVEMENT.
ON SUNDAY MORNING, READING FROM
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW.
>> YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID, YOU
SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND
HATE YOUR ENEMY.
BUT I SAY TO YOU, LOVE YOUR
ENEMIES.
ENEMIES.
ENEMIES. AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO
PERSECUTE YOU.
PERSECUTE YOU. >> Reporter: PRESIDENT CARTER
ALSO SPOKE OF SEX, ELICITING A
LAUGH FROM THE CONGREGATION.
>> ANOTHER ONE IS HEROES.
YOU MAY KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
NOBODY IN HERE KNOWS.
OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. IT
OKAY. IT IS OKAY TO MENTION IT IN A
CHURCH.
CHURCH.
CHURCH. >> NEVER WANTS
BOOK.
BOOK.
BOOK. I
BOOK. I SAID YOU NEVER USE THE
COMMENTARY, HE SAID, I DON'T
NEED IT.
NEED IT.
NEED IT. I DON'T NEED IT.
>> Reporter: TWO YEARS AGO
PRESIDENT CARTER WAS HAVING
DIFFICULTY STANDING 45 MINUTES
TO TEACH THE CLASS.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO SIT.
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE JIMMY
CARTER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
TALKED PRESIDENT CARTER INTO AN
OPTION.
OPTION.
OPTION. IT WAS A NEW CHAIR, CALLED THE
ROCKET CHAIR.
AND
AND IT
AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY. PRESIDENT CARTER HASN'T TAUGHT
HIS CLASS SINCE LAST YEAR,
FOLLOWING HIS SURGERY, THE
RESULT OF FALLS.
CHURCH MEMBERS WHO PRAYED FOR
HIS RECOVERY TOLD ME WEDNESDAY,
HE WAS SWIMMING IN THE BACKYARD
POOL AND MAKING CALLS ON BEHALF
OF DONORS.
OF DONORS. MISTER CARTER'S
MISTER CARTER'S TEACHING IS NOW PART OF GEORGIA
LORI.
LORI.
LORI. IF
LORI. IF YOU MISSED THIS EXPERIENCE,
YOU MISSED ONE OF THE
EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCES OF
YOUR LIFE.
YOUR LIFE. I WILL NEVER MISS THE FIRST
JAZZ BAND PLAYING A SLIGHTLY
OFF KEY VERSION OF GEORGIA ON
MY MIND.
MY MIND.
MY MIND. SAYING THESE LINES IS PUT A
LUMP IN MY THROAT, THINKING
ABOUT THAT SERVICE FIVE YEARS
AGO.
AGO.
AGO. >>
AGO. >> I
AGO. >> I STILL BOW DOWN TO THE FACT
THAT HE IS A SUNDAY SCHOOL
TEACHER.
>>
>> FORMER
>> FORMER PRESIDENT CARTER IS A SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER WHEREVER
HE GOES.
HE GOES.
HE GOES. THERE WAS A TIME I WAS WITH THE
FORMER PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY
IN HAITI ON A HABITAT BUILD AND
HE CIRCLED EVERYONE UP ON A
SUNDAY MORNING UNDER A TENT FOR
SUNDAY SCHOOL, RIGHT THERE.
EVERY SINGLE VOLUNTEER WHO
TRAVELED FROM THE UNITED STATES
CAME AND ALL THE HAITIANS THAT
WERE PART OF THAT PROCESS ALL
SAT THERE, GLUED TO HIM FOR
EVERY MINUTE OF IT.
>> HE IS AMAZING.
WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT IF HE
PROVES ALL OF US WRONG AND IS
ABLE, AT SOME POINT, WHEN THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS OVER AND
HE IS FEELING BETTER, THAT HE
CAN RESUME THIS.
THAT IS THE HOPE.
THE CHURCH TODAY RECEIVED A LOT
OF INQUIRIES AS A RESULT OF THE
FACEBOOK PAGE AND ALSO HERE ON
11ALIVE AND THEY ARE TELLING
PEOPLE THAT PRESIDENT CARTER
HAS NOT MADE AN