July 4th is a high holy day in the Evangelical Ozarks. At yesterday's worship service, Springfield's Second Baptist Church reenacted the debate that produced the Declaration of Independence, complete with booing and huzzahs. According to Pastor John Marshall, "No matter how upset we are with the political status quo, as long as we have liberty, we need to celebrate."

Fearing the disappearance of liberty, a minister in Norwood, Missouri is extremely upset, warning darkly of a new civil war. Arguing that "it may go to bullets," the Reverend Reg Kelly has called for a return to the principles of the Founding Fathers. Last weekend Kelly's church held a Faith-Family-Freedom-Celebration, giving away a free pocket Constitution to the first 3,000 visitors. Though Kelly is more pessimistic than many clergy, his anger is representative of a wide swath of Ozarks conservatives.

Earlier this summer, I picked up a CD of Kelly's preaching at an Ozarks truckstop. Sitting nearby was a stack of brochures from 8th District Congressional candidate Bob Parker. An activist in the tea party movement, Parker is challenging incumbent Representative Jo Ann Emerson for the Republican nomination. In language reminiscent of Glenn Beck, he has criticized Emerson for supporting "economic justice wealth redistribution at the Congressional Hunger Center."

Parker is referring to Emerson's advocacy on hunger issues. According to the Douglas County Herald, she was recently honored by Bread for the World "for her leadership in Congress' efforts to reduce hunger and poverty around the world." So far Emerson has had a difficult time reaching out to the tea party movement, attending her first meeting in January.

Another Republican with opposition on the right spoke at James River Assembly's "I Love America Celebration," by far the largest July 4th gathering in the Ozarks. Introduced by James River's Pastor John Lindell, Congressman Roy Blunt gave a rousing defense of the importance of faith in public life. Noting that some would like to remove God from American government, he pointed to the prevalence of Christian symbolism in the United States Capitol, including a painting of Columbus and his men bearing a cross. In a nod to the tea parties, he also commended this year's heightened focus on the Constitution.

A candidate for the United States Senate, Blunt is not taking anything for granted. According to his Twitter page, the campaign participated in 30 plus events this weekend. Like Emerson, he faces a more conservative opponent. Recently endorsed by Joe the Plumber, State Senator Chuck Purgason has criticized Blunt for supporting TARP and the No Child Left Behind Act. Like many in the tea party movement, Purgason is a strong advocate of the Fair Tax.

Though a Purgason sign could be seen near the entrance, he was not asked to speak at "I Love America." According to the Springfield News-Leader, only current officeholders were invited. This policy gave a huge advantage to Blunt.

This kind of gathering matters a great deal in the "buckle of the Bible Belt." Throughout much of his career, Blunt has attracted the support of Ozarks evangelicals. The former president of Southwest Baptist University, he is fluent in the language of Zion.

Such evangelical piety was on display at Blunt's 1999 "Ozark Cookout" with presidential candidate George W. Bush, preserved on a campaign video I purchased at a library book sale. While Bush and Blunt proclaimed their mutual support, the most significant endorsement came in the invocation by the Reverend Joe White.

As the owner of Kanakuk Kamps near Branson, White is a revered figure among thousands of Ozarks young people and their families. Praying to "the great God of creation who built the United States of America on the precepts of the ten commandments," White called for faithful politicians "amidst this topsy turvy time of turmoil in the moral lives of this country."

It did not quite work out that way. A highly public divorce has tarnished Blunt's image among religious conservatives, while his connections to the powerful have given him a reputation as a Washington insider.

And yet Blunt has managed to hold on to most of the voters in Southwest Missouri, including thousands of evangelicals. Present at the first "I Love America" rally in 1997, he was an honored guest at yesterday's celebration. If he survives the opposition of Joe Wurzelbacher and Chuck Purgason (which is very likely), he has a good chance of beating Robin Carnahan in November.