The opportunity to meet a United States President, live and in person, is a dream for many. The opportunity to meet and get a photo with the Nobel Peace Laureate and great humanitarian, President Carter, is almost unimaginable, yet it can happen.
For decades, President Carter has been attending and teaching Sunday school in a small church in Plains, Georgia called Maranatha Church. I read earlier this year that the church welcomes the public, so having business in Atlanta, and not quite believing it was possible to meet this great man, I decided to give it a try.
To my joy and surprise, it happened. By attending President Carter’s Sunday school class, I was able to sit five rows back from this great man of faith and peace, and hear him speak and then have a picture taken with him. It felt surreal.
Here’s how it happened for others and me:
I was advised to go online and check the Maranatha Church website (mbcplains.org). On the home page, in the first paragraph, you will see a link to visitor guidelines to see President Carter. There you will find the Sunday schedule to see when President Carter will be speaking, the address, maps, phone/email and suggestions for the trip. I chose December 6, 2015. Since I didn’t have my entire weekend free, I left Saturday night, drove all night from Raleigh, North Carolina to Plains, Georgia and arrived at the church at the break of dawn.
Welcome sign for Plains, Georgia, USA
6:30am
A line had already formed in front of the church, with about 20 people, by the time I got there. As the line began to grow, the sun began to rise and thankfully, we waited on a crisp sunny and mild winter’s day. I had a heavy coat, hat, and gloves in the car, just in case, but it wasn’t needed. Excitement was in the air. People in line were happy, chatty, and friendly. Some folks had camped all night to get front-row seats. Secret Service men and women where scattered all about, overtly and covertly, and sprinkled within the crowds, posing as visitors (we were told). Out of the blue a woman in plain clothes showed up. You’d swear she had a military background—or prison guard experience. She spoke to the people outside firmly, laying out some rules and urging folks not to bring in big purses, backpacks or any sharp items. She then gave some instructions for once we were inside the sanctuary. Once you get to the security check, if you bring more than you’re supposed to, and are turned away, you lose your place in line and possibly the chance to meet President Carter.
So listen it’s important to carefully.
Maranatha Church where President has been a member and has taught Sunday School for several decades.
7:30
am
The doors opened and we began to slowly file in. After going through a security check, I walked into the church with my new gal pals, Mary and Gail. A young woman handing out service pamphlets pleasantly greeted us and we were ushered into the main room of the sanctuary. Once everyone was seated, we were permitted to use the restrooms.
The church is small and if there is an overflow, folks can watch President Carter via a livestream in another building on site. We were was told President Carter makes a stop there, before coming to the sanctuary, and meets the “overflow” crowd so they have a chance to see him in person.
9:00am
The woman who gave us rules outside appeared again. Her name is Jan and it turned out she’s funny as all get out of town. She began her indoor orientation, letting visitors know things like how we aren’t to applaud the President in church and how the photo session would take place so that everyone is able to take a picture with President Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter. (Yes, Mrs. Carter attended as well.)
10:00am
President Carter entered the room and hearts were a-pumping. He wore a suit and tie along with his incredibly beautiful and famous smile. At first he asked folks where they were from. People shouted out their states. This was the only time we were permitted to take photos of him. When he asked for an opening prayer, the cameras were to be turned off.
The day I visited and saw President Carter speak, was the very day he announced the cancer in his brain had disappeared and he was cancer-free. Though we were told earlier not to applaud when President Carter came into the sanctuary, when he made that announcement—we broke the rules and the crowd erupted in great joy and applause.
It felt impossible to hold back.
President Carter began to teach his class. The predominant message I received from his words, while sitting in disbelief that I was actually there, was that we should never stop striving to live fmore like Jesus— by loving, caring, giving and forgiving—every day. The president slowly walked back and front of the congregation that day. He did not stand behind a podium. He was down on the main floor with the people.
President Carter on December 6, 2015, at the Maranatha Church in Plain, Georgia, the day he announced his cancer was gone
11:00am
President Carter finished his class, then went and sat next to the former First Lady Rosalyn Carter. The church service was calm, insightful and lasted only an hour. During the service a basket is passed for donations. Since everything was free, visitors were very generous, and very grateful to the church for the opportunity.
12:00
pm
The service ended and some people left (mostly permanent members of the church). The rest of us stayed to have a photo taken with President Carter and Mrs. Carter who sat on two stools by the alter. They stayed and posed with every single person in the room who stayed. Given the amount of people and time constraints, we were not allowed to start a conversation with the Carters, nor touch them for obvious security reasons. They had a woman taking photos using the cameras people brought via phone devices, iPads ... or if you forgot your camera the church would take a photo for you with the church’s camera and email it to you.
1:30
pm
Before leaving the church we were allowed to put in orders to buy a CD audio and/or a DVD video of President Carter’s class and the service. CDs were $15 and DVDs were $35. So not only did everyone get to have a photo with the Carters, we were able to buy CDs and DVDs of the amazing experience. Upon leaving I signed the church guest book with others. Once outside the building, were permitted to chat and take more photos of the people we’d met and the church grounds and then politely asked to disperse.
2:00
pm
After the amazing experience, the day was left to spend visiting the town of Plains where you can visit the free Plains High School Carter Museum, the President’s boyhood farm, a mall downtown center with a plethora of antique stores (I bought an antique bike for a song), a restaurant and an inn (with a modest prices as low as $80 per night if you make reservations early enough). The people are friendly and country. I felt very welcome.
The classroom where Jimmy Carter attended school
A young Jimmy Carter in front of his the entrance to his newly started business
One of the many fun shops on the Plains downtown strip
When driving back, I drove to Atlanta, to get some business done and stopped by the Carter Center cofounded by Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in 1982. The work the center has done worldwide will put you in awe. Their mission: Waging Peace, Fighting Disease. Building Hope.
Attached to The Carter Center is the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, very worth the trip and visit. The grounds and gardens are breathtaking. I was told some people have weddings there. Inside there is a cafeteria where you can grab a bite to eat. The museum is filled with memorabilia including President Carter’s Nobel Peace Prize and an exact replica of the White House Oval Office as it was when President Carter led our country for four years.
A replica of the Oval Office when President Carter lead our country in the 1970’s
The entire experience was one I will never ever forget. It was even better than I had imagined—a dream come true for me. There are many variables, which include President Carter’s health, travel plans, security measures, weather... Schedules can change, but if you check the Maranatha website, they do a good job of keeping the public updated. I knew if I made the trip there would be no guarantee things would work the way I wanted, so I had a Plan B which was promising myself that I would still have have a good time visiting Plains and Atlanta Georgia, and would feeling his positive presence. With the few souvenirs I found, I knew I’d be be taking a bit of a world legend with me for life.
I plan to return to Plains with family and friends on an upcoming Sunday. If you go, I wish you the best trip ever. Big thanks to Maranatha Church, the people of Plains, the Carter Center and of course President Carter and Mrs. Carter for opening their doors and their hearts to the world. A Facebook Page has been created to pay tribute to President Carter called, Honoring Jimmy Carter. The page already has over 140k members/’Likes” so far. To visit the page and leave your thoughts and comments about one of the world’s most loved U.S. presidents, click here. Happy Trails.
