After COVID vaccines, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter worship in-person at Georgia church

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It had been nearly a year since former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter shimmied into a pew for services at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia.

But now things are different.

The couple worshiped in-person for the second Sunday in a row after both receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, head pastor Tony Lowden announced to the small, socially distanced congregation this past weekend.

Let’s welcome them back,” Lowden said as Carter, 96, gave a quick wave from where he and his wife were sitting on the front row, video of the service shows.

The former president and first lady had been worshiping from a distance since last March, tuning into church from home via livestream, The New York Times reported. The couple, both wearing masks, were back in the sanctuary early Sunday among fellow churchgoers.

The Carters are longtime members of Maranatha Baptist Church, where Jimmy Carter has taught Sunday school for more than four decades. His lessons drew hundreds of congregants, eagerly waiting in line in the church parking lot, until the pandemic brought his weekly teachings to a close last year.

“You have to convince him, he cannot teach Sunday school,” his niece Kim Fuller said, according to WXIA. “I told him, ‘Uncle Jimmy, I don’t think you need to teach Sunday school,’ and he said ‘Okay.’”

A memo posted on the church’s websites states that the former president won’t be teaching “until further notice.”

The Carters’ recent return to church doesn’t come without a few rules, however. On Sunday, Lowden joked that congregants might “get tackled” by the Secret Service because social distancing rules are still in place.

Face masks are also required at all times and temperature checks will be taken at the door, according to a memo posted to the church’s Facebook page. Only 90 guests will be allowed in at a time and worshipers must make a reservation in advance to maintain limited capacity.

“We understand this is an exciting time for everyone, but to keep everyone safe as possible, both members and guests, the following protocols will be put into place,” the church wrote.