Chuck Leavell, keyboardist for the pioneering Southern rock band, said its members saw their fellow Georgian as an honest, inspiring figure.

I can tell you without any equivocation that the number one abuse of human rights on Earth, strangely not addressed quite often, is the abuse of women and girls,” the former President said.

The service, which lasted roughly two hours, was packed with heartfelt and vivid remembrances that recalled both a powerful president and politician as well as a thoughtful and giving man of faith.

Jimmy Carter, a progressive Baptist, balanced faith with politics, advocating for church-state separation while evolving on social issues, shaping evangelical roles in U.S. public life.

President Jimmy Carter shakes hands with the crowd after delivering an address at Wait Chapel concerning the Soviet threat, March 17, 1978. To the right of Carter is Fifth District Congressman Steve Neal. More than 50 years after filling out his ballot, Jimmy Walker freely admits it.

Carter was one of the most explicitly religious presidents, but his rise in politics came during a transformative era in American Christianity.

Here are five interesting facts about former President Jimmy Carter They include his service in the U S Navy, his marriage lasting longer than that of any other president and his work with Habitat

Jimmy Carter did not shy away from his faith, and he was genuine about it. His religious beliefs guided him during and after his presidency.

Carter was widely known as a man of faith, with his post-presidency defined by images of the Baptist Sunday School teacher building homes for low-income people.

Jimmy Carter professing his “born again” Christianity paved the way for Jerry Falwell and Ronald Reagan's style of religious politics.