Georgia News
Georgia News

Jimmy Carter’s Maranatha Baptist Church cancels Sunday service

n this Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga. Nearly four decades after he left office and despite a body that’s failing after 95 years, the nation’s oldest-ever ex-president still teaches Sunday school roughly twice monthly at the church. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)

Credit: John Amis / AP

Credit: John Amis / AP

n this Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, file photo, former President Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga. Nearly four decades after he left office and despite a body that’s failing after 95 years, the nation’s oldest-ever ex-president still teaches Sunday school roughly twice monthly at the church. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)
By
March 14, 2020

Maranatha Baptist Church, regularly attended by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, is the latest house of worship in Georgia to cancel Sunday services because of the coronavirus.

The Rev. Tony Lowden informed church members early Saturday morning that services would be halted at the rural church in Plains in southwest Georgia.

“The risks are just too great with an older population and a poor, rural community that doesn’t have all of the health care infrastructures others have,” Lowden told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Maranatha has about 40 members, including Carter and his wife Rosalynn, who attend every Sunday.

Reverend Tony Lowden greets visitors and members in the sanctuary of Maranatha Baptist Church following the worship service on Sunday, June 9, 2019, in Plains. Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com
icon to expand image

Lowden’s decision to cancel services is a reminder of how the coronavirus is reshaping daily life. There have been at least two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in nearby Albany.

In Plains, Carter's birthplace and home, about 40% of the population lives below the poverty line.

The closest hospital is in Americus and the median household income is $21,731.

About the Author

Ernie Suggs is an enterprise reporter covering race and culture for the AJC since 1997. A 1990 graduate of N.C. Central University and a 2009 Harvard University Nieman Fellow, he is also the former vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists. His obsession with Prince, Spike Lee movies, Hamilton and the New York Yankees is odd.

Follow Ernie Suggs on facebookFollow Ernie Suggs on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Dexter Weaver, owner of Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods, stands outside his restaurant on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. Weaver has put the iconic Athens eatery up for sale, 39 years after he opened it. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

‘Automatic for the People:’ Weaver D’s still bonds Athens as era nears end

After feeding everyone from R.E.M. to Brian Kemp, and coining a phrase that went global, Dexter Weaver is preparing to close his storied Athens soul food restaurant.

Georgia judges deal blow to ICE’s new mandatory detention policy

The ruling is a first-of-its-kind to come out of Georgia’s Middle District.

Some Korean techs swept up in Hyundai campus ICE raid return to Georgia

Some Korean technicians detained in a September immigration raid at the Hyundai EV factory campus near Savannah recently had their visas restored and are back on the job.

The Latest

Dexter Weaver, owner of Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods, stands outside his restaurant on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. Weaver has put the iconic Athens eatery up for sale, 39 years after he opened it. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

‘Automatic for the People:’ Weaver D’s still bonds Athens as era nears end

Some Korean techs swept up in Hyundai campus ICE raid return to Georgia

Georgia judges deal blow to ICE’s new mandatory detention policy

Featured

Prosecutor Skandalakis has previously suggested that pursuing criminal charges against President Donald Trump may not be feasible until after he leaves office in 2029. (Craig Hudson/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images

Prosecutor takes helm of Georgia case against Trump. But will he move forward?

A veteran Georgia prosecutor will decide the fate of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' election interference case against Donald Trump and his allies.

With some solar power tax breaks expiring, Georgians rush to catch the sun

Georgia solar installers say they’re seeing a surge of customers trying to install rooftop solar systems before federal tax credits go away at the end of the year.

‘Automatic for the People:’ Weaver D’s still bonds Athens as era nears end

After feeding everyone from R.E.M. to Brian Kemp, and coining a phrase that went global, Dexter Weaver is preparing to close his storied Athens soul food restaurant.