Christian activism lags as S. Fla. rally opens

But the momentum that brought record numbers of believers to the polls in 2004 has waned. In a year of large-scale natural disasters, Christian charitable dollars have been redirected from political causes to relief efforts. And -- perhaps most damaging of all -- scandals involving former House Majority leader Tom DeLay and lobbyist Jack Abramoff have discouraged some Christians.

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In previous years, the "Reclaiming America for Christ Conference" has helped energize Christians. Nearly 1,000 evangelicals from more than 40 states gathered at Coral Ridge in February 2004.

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But a year later, the center has scaled back its ambitious strategy to reshape national politics along biblical lines. Plans for a strategy institute and the regional offices have been quietly set aside. Some of the center's activities have been set back by budget realignments, Cass said.

This year, only about 700 people registered for the conference. "In '05, we had just come off the '04 values voter phenomenon. People in our movement were encouraged and there was a lot of momentum coming in," Cass said. "I think we're running a bit behind."