Yeah, Wright really did his utmost to screw things up, didn't he? It makes me wonder if he was being paid off by the Republicans or by Hillary or something... ;-D

See, Rig, for some people it's just "normal" to belong to a church and have a pastor. Usually because it was the normal thing to do in the family they grew up in. This does not necessarily indicate that they are very religious. Now I happened to grow up in a family that was not churchgoing, so for me it wouldn't be "normal"...but that doesn't mean I'm any smarter or better than someone for whom it is "normal".

Anyway, if it is "normal" for someone to go to a church, and it's a protestant church, then they have a pastor. What does that mean? Well, it could mean that they look to him for their spiritual guidance...or it might not mean that at all. They might just think of him as a friend, either close or casual. It might be more of a social connection than a religious one in that case. Or...they might think of him as someone they can talk to if they have a problem or need personal advice. Or...they might even think of him as a goof who is temporarily running the church they belong to, and they might be dreaming wistfully of the day he leaves! ;-)

There are any number of possibilities.

Some people see church in a deeply religious way, but for others it is more of a social thing or a form of tradition. It enables them to meet with other people whom they feel they have something in common with, that's all. In that way it could be comparable to belonging to the Lions Club or something else along that line. This is what church is for many people...just a way of socializing with others in their community and upholding past social traditions and customs. (that's certainly the main thing that it is for a great many Canadian churchgoers...probably a majority of them)

I think you are reading too much into it.