As the race for the Republican presidential nomination heads to South Carolina with its high concentration of evangelical Christians, those voters will increasingly be the focus of the GOP hopefuls.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich -- who is looking to derail Republican front-runner former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in South Carolina on Jan. 21 -- unveiled the support of prominent religious leaders on Thursday. Prominent Christian author George Barna will lead Gingrich’s “Faith Leaders Coalition.”

“I am thrilled to have the support of George and the rest of the coalition to work with me to defend life and religious liberty, not just for this campaign but also over the next eight years,” Gingrich said in a statement on Thursday. The former congressional leader slammed President Barack Obama’s record on faith in the public square. “The Obama administration and activist judges have aggressively sought to undermine religion in America, and they need to be thwarted.”

Barna, who will be joined by prominent California pastor Jim Garlow and religious conservative activists Don Wildmon and Mat Staver in leading the coalition, praised Gingrich on Thursday.

“He is a man of great intellect and passion for America, and has the requisite wisdom and courage to guide this nation back to sanity and health. His policy prescriptions are well-conceived, practical, and reflect his deep understanding of government and our Constitution”, said Barna. “There are no other candidates running for the presidency who possess his unique mix of skills, knowledge, and experience -- and the ability to win in November.”

Other members of the new coalition threw jabs at some of the other candidates.

"Pastors and Christians across the country must recognize that this is a two-man race between Romney and Gingrich. Gingrich is the man who will best represent biblical principles and will be best equipped to defeat President Obama in November," Garlow, who was very prominent in fighting against same-sex marriage in California, insisted on Thursday. "For me and the people of faith joining this coalition, this is not a political move; it is a spiritual one."

“America will be unrecognizable if Obama is elected for four more years,” Staver, the founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, said. “We need a strong leader with domestic, international and political experience who can inspire a new conservative resurgence in the line of Ronald Reagan. Speaker Gingrich is the clear choice.”

Barna’s team invited more than 50,000 pastors across the nation to take part in a conference call on Thursday. The Gingich camp intends to bring more pastors on board -- with a focus on signing up religious leaders in South Carolina and Florida, which holds its primary on Jan. 31.

Former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts of Oklahoma will also be part of the new coalition. Watts campaigned with Gingrich in Columbia, S.C., on Thursday.

Gingrich was not the only Republican presidential hopeful getting his credentials in order with religious conservatives on Thursday. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was able to score points with two key groups in South Carolina -- religious conservatives and military families -- in an endorsement he received on Thursday from evangelical leader Rev. James Linzey, the president and founder of the Military Bible Association. The association helps military chaplains, provides Bibles to the military community and offers translations of the Bible.