National Public Radio (NPR) is running a two part series on the growth of Colorado Springs’ evangelical movement, highlighting James Dobson’s Focus on Family Values and Ted Haggard’s New Life Church.

The city has become a special place for evangelical Christians, like Ted Haggard, pastor of the 11,000-member New Life Church and president of the National Association of Evangelicals. Haggard came to Colorado Springs in 1984, and found what he calls a pastor’s graveyard. Only 10 percent of the people went to church and, what he says were pagan-style religions had a good-sized following.

….today, it’s a booming city that’s home to more than 100 evangelical Christian organizations.

These groups will be an increasingly vocal force in politics in the next few years. Republicans particularly need to keep their eye on the ball, as Dobson already has thrown down the gauntlet:

“If they get disinterested in the values of the people who put them in office as they have done in the past, if that happens again, I believe the Republican Party will pay an enormous price in four years and maybe two,” Dobson said.