Two major evangelical organizations, Focus on the Family and the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, teamed up to host the two-day conference in an effort to elevate evangelicals in the anti-abortion movement, which has long been dominated by Catholics.

Notably absent from the roster of speakers were any elected officials, even though abortion is one of the most politicized topics in the U.S. The issue has been on the front burner of recent policy battles in Washington and around the country, with Congress’ effort to defund Planned Parenthood and an upcoming Supreme Court case on the constitutionality of new abortion clinic regulations.

Instead, speakers took pains to distance themselves from many of the issues that have typically defined the Republican Party. There was plenty of distaste expressed for businessman Donald Trump, who is leading in polls in Iowa and other early primary states, partly due to voters who call themselves evangelicals.

“It is a scandal the way many evangelicals have been silent about Trumpism,” Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore told the Washington Examiner. “I don’t think that most evangelicals are supporting Trump, but I do see a dissent into hackery on the part of some who are willing to hedge their bets with Trump.”

Moore, who also has criticized Trump and most of his rivals for advocating a religious test for Muslim refugees trying to enter the U.S., told attendees earlier in the day that Christian leaders are “willing to prostitute themselves out for ideologies and political leaders on the Left and the Right.”

To show they want to break out of the traditional conservative box, conference leaders kicked things off Thursday with Rodiguez, who reaches out specifically to Hispanic communities with an anti-abortion message, and Ron Sider, a theologian and left-leaning social activist.

Sider challenged attendees to reconsider their views on poverty, capital punishment and the Black Lives Matter movement to ensure they consistently support life at all stages.

“Surely pro-life people should be concerned about every situation where death that could be prevented kills persons created in the image of our lord and savior,” Sider said.

The conference highlighted some increasing tensions between evangelical leaders and the Republican Party. While most Republican politicians, including all the presidential contenders, oppose abortion, many have taken positions on immigration and refugees that have made conservative Christian leaders uncomfortable.

There’s no better example of that than Trump, who has promised to kick all illegal immigrants out of the country and ban Muslims from entering the U.S. should he win the White House. And while Trump says he now holds anti-abortion views, he used to contribute heavily to Democrats in favor of abortion rights and once said he supported partial-birth abortion.

“I don’t think many people would say Donald Trump will be an effective pro-life messenger,” said Mollie Hemingway, a senior editor at The Federalist. “That is something I think people in the pro-life movement have every reason to be deeply concerned about.”

Not all the Republican candidates have been disappointing to abortion foes. Carly Fiorina, who is slated to speak at the March for Life rally on Friday, has emerged as a forceful spokeswoman for the movement and has eagerly discussed her views about abortion during debates.

And Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has been touting his opposition to abortion through a new television ad and on the campaign trail, and has formed a special committee to advise him on the issue.

But Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, says she finds the Republican brand is nonetheless “tarnished” among the young people her group is trying to court. She says it’s hard to get students excited about voting for candidates who oppose abortion but who also might hold conservative views on other issues.

“You don’t want to be considered in bed with Republicans,” Hawkins told the Washington Examiner.

Hawkins said that’s why she’s taken pains this election season to show young people that they don’t have to join the GOP to oppose abortion.

“I think I criticize Republicans almost as much as I criticize Democrats,” she said. “It’s probably still not enough, but it’s important that we show we’re being fair and we’re calling out candidates from both parties.”

The conference was intended to lead up to the annual March for Life protesting legalized abortion, which organizers said will continue as planned despite a blizzard projected to strike Friday afternoon.