Not Many Can Say They’ve Attended a Nearly Private Church Service with a Former President
In 2021, Atlanta man Michael Tropp attended a nearly private church service with former President Jimmy Carter. Tropp, a US history buff, had passed through Plains, Georgia, where Carter was born, and had visited the Jimmy Carter National Historical Park before. He wanted to make a stop at the church the Carters attended, Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter taught Sunday school for decades.
The service was unusual, as it was one of the first services the Carters had attended since the pandemic, and Tropp was the only two people there, besides Secret Service personnel. He later spotted Rosalynn Carter on a stroll outside and got a picture with her. She passed away in November 2023.
Tropp has a dedication to learning more about US history and sees and learns more about the United States through every visit to a gravesite or historic town. He has met seven US presidents, including Carter, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.
Growing up, Tropp was surrounded by history and developed a love for it. He has visited all 39 presidential gravesites and plans a trip around them every year on his birthday. He has a unique approach to making presidential connections, often getting lucky or being in the right place at the right time.
Tropp paid his respects to Carter in Atlanta at The Carter Center on Monday, calling the experience “surreal.” He plans to visit Carter’s burial site in Plains when it is opened to the public. He has shown his commitment to presidential history and is willing to stand in line for hours to pay his respects to the 39th president of the United States.
