The marriage of conservative religion and politics at Liberty University has always been transparent. When Religious Right icon Jerry Falwell founded the school in 1971, its statement of purposecalled for commitment to a Christian worldview that includes Creationism, political conservatism and a firm support for Americas economic system of free enterprise.

The clarity worked. Since Ronald Reagan, Republican leaders have been making the pilgrimage to the mountains of central Virginia to speak at Liberty, which boomed under Falwell and his ability to draw evangelicals out of their churches and into public and political life.

But the cachet of appearing at Liberty has grown even more in the past decade as the school has exploded in size, financial resources and in its presence in places like Capitol Hill, where its alumni are now a familiar sight. Almost every single GOP presidential contender in recent years has spoken at Liberty, usually at its massive thrice-weekly chapel, which is held in a 12,000-seat sports arena and also watched by thousands of its 95,000 on-line students. It is the worlds largest Christian university with nearly 110,000 students.

But Ted Cruzs announcement Monday was the first time a candidate has actually unveiled their run for president at Liberty, solidifying it further as the symbolic hub of conservative Christianity.

Liberty has become to the academy what Fox News is to the media, said Johnnie Moore, an author, pastor and a former senior vice president at Liberty, where he was responsible for organizing the chapel sessions, called convocations. Appearances by more centrist GOP candidates John McCain (in 2006) and Mitt Romney (in 2012) helped establish its place, he said. No one was talking anymore about whether Liberty was the heart of conservatism. It became an institution that, whether you liked it or not, everyone in America has to pay attention to.

Liberty exemplifies in some ways the journey of conservative evangelicals in public life.

Just in the last decade it has created a law school, a medical school, an engineering school and has gone from $30 million in debt when Falwell died in 2007 to having $1.2 billion in cash reserves, buoyed by its on-line students. Libertys convocation is a must-stop not only for candidates but is also popular with well-known athletes, actors, political movers and shakers and megapastors who typically speak about religions essential role in public life. At a time when its common to hear about the death of the Religious Right, Libertysdaily existence pushes back, an argument for the success and relevance of conservative evangelical Christianity.

Yet some feel evangelical political power is still a work in progress. While half of GOP primary voters are evangelical, according to states with exit polls, the candidate they pick hasnt been selected as the nominee since George W. Bush, and no leader since Falwell has been able to assemble coalitions of such impact. Evangelicals are also somewhat more divided on some of the core issues that united them in Falwells day including issues of human sexuality and church-state relations.

To a group of Americans who wonder if their way of life is sustainable, Liberty is a promise that evangelicals can still thrive in the United States. Everywhere else you see churches with empty pews or Christian organizations that are bankrupt, said Liberty graduate Jonathan Merritt, son of a pastpresident of the Southern Baptist Convention and author of a book criticizing aspects of conservative evangelical culture. Liberty embodies a hope that a lot of conservative evangelicals need right now.

Merritt believes that part of the appeal of Liberty for a candidate looking to announce themselves to religious conservatives is that there arent other obvious options.

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Heres why Liberty University has become a pilgrimage site for GOP candidates