N.Z. trip by President’s sister off

Press, 29 April 1978, Page 1

N.Z. trip by President’s sister off

Mrs Ruth Carter Stapleton, sister of the President of the United States, Mr Jimmy Carter, was to have addressed Christian family life seminars in Christchurch, ■ Auckland, and Wellington later this year, but through a misunderstanding cannot now attend.

The co-ordinator of the seminars, Mr R. B. Horton of Auckland, has written to Mrs Stapleton inviting her to New Zealand at some other time.

Mrs Stapleton was to have been one of six speakers at each of the week-long seminars in August and September. Mr Horton said the Auckland and Wellington seminars would still go on, but a decision had to be made on the Christchurch seminar. Mr Horton said he had met Mrs Stapleton while in Kansas City last year and had invited her to speak in New Zealand. She had said she would like to come.

In January’, her manager had written to the seminar organisers in New Zealand confirming final dates for the seminars, but the letter had not arrived, said

Mr Horton. When the manager did not get a reply from New Zealand he had thought they were no longer interested and Mrs Stapleton had accepted other engagements for the time the seminars would be held. While in Kansas City, Mr Horton said he had heard Mrs Stapleton speak at a meeting of several thousand people “about the principles of the word of God.” Her address had caused people to look at themselves and their relationships with one another, such as husband to wife and father to children.

Mrs Stapleton, who is 47. is a faith healer and head of Behold Inc., "a religious corporation.” As well as appearing in religious workshops, speaking in churches, and apnearing on television talk shows, she has written several bestselling books. She recently made headlines when she was instrumental in the conversion of an American pomograohv king, Larry Flynt. Flvnt is the publisher of the 3M circulation sex magazine. “Hustler.”