Presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich is scheduled to speak at a Lamar County church Sunday night.

Gingrich’s speech will be part of a “God and Country” rally at Rock Springs Church, said Abbey Shiflett, assistant to Senior Pastor Benny Tate.

“He’s speaking on historical things,” she said. Gingrich’s appearance at the church is “not an endorsement of a candidate.”

Gingrich has authored or co-authored 18 nonfiction books since 1982, many of them having to do with military history.

The Sunday event is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. inside the church sanctuary, located at 219 Rock Spring Road, off exit 201 on Interstate 75 North. It is free and open to the public.

It’s Gingrich’s second visit to the church in eight months. He was also there in June just weeks after his campaign got rolling.

“Our pastor is very patriotic,” Shiflett said. “There’ll be lots of red, white and blue” in the sanctuary for the event.

Tate and Gingrich “have gotten to know each other” over the years and become friends, Shiflett said. Tate has even visited Gingrich in Washington, D.C.

In the coming weeks, Gingrich and other GOP presidential candidates will be campaigning as part of the run-up to the March 6 Super Tuesday primaries that include Georgia.

Shiflett said the Rock Springs sanctuary can hold about 1,600 people. The church has about 5,000 members.