Former President Jimmy Carter has changed plans and will not teach Sunday school just days after undergoing surgery for a broken hip.
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Carter spokeswoman Deanna Congileo says the 94-year-old underestimated the amount of time he would need to recover from a hip replacement procedure.
Carter broke his hip on Monday as he was leaving to go turkey hunting.
In a statement on Saturday, Congileo said Carter apologised for any inconvenience to those who had travelled to hear his lesson at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia.
She says Carter's niece, Kim Fuller, will teach the lesson instead and, he says, "No one will be disappointed".
A devout Christian, Carter regularly teaches Sunday school in Plains, drawing hundreds of visitors for each session.
He and his wife Rosalynn pose for pictures with each attendee.
Carter became the longest-lived president in US history in March when his age surpassed that of former President George H.W. Bush, who died November 30 aged 94 years, 171 days.
Nearly four years have passed since Carter revealed he was diagnosed with cancer.
He said in August 2015 he had melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain.
He received treatment for seven months until scans showed no sign of the disease.
Australian Associated Press