At Thursday’s state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter, speaker after speaker referenced the humble Georgia peanut farmer’s commitment to God.

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.

Truth is, Carter was part of two endangered groups — populist Southern Democrats and progressive Southern Baptists. In 1976, he fared well with evangelical voters, for a Democrat, but exit polls basically showed a toss-up. In 1980, many evangelicals rejected him and helped create Ronald Reagan’s landslide win.

Maybe this is a lesson of the Carter administration, that true Christianity often finds itself drawn away from places of power and down in the muck.

Analysis: Carter navigated the barbed wire of the politics of religion, Eric Garcia reports. In doing so, he ran his race and he kept his faith

Joshua Carter described President Jimmy Carter's legendary devotion to teaching Sunday school in Plains, Georgia, saying that people flocked from around the country to hear him speak.

For what he gave me, he deserves my respect,” said Tiffany Patten. “If he can eradicate guinea worm, I can stand in 30-degree weather (to watch his funeral’s motorcade).”

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

On January 31, 2009, I had the honor of introducing former President Jimmy Carter before he spoke at the Southeast Regional Gathering of the New Baptist Covenant at 16th Street Baptist Church m Birmingham.

When Plains Baptist Church voted overwhelmingly in the 1950s to bar Blacks and “racial agitators” from membership, Jimmy Carter and a handful of his family members

Former President Jimmy Carter was honored with a state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. All five living presidents were in attendance. Next up is a private service with his family in Georgia.