“Ultimately” was that a Freudian slip? Anyway you seem like a nice bloke good luck to you either way. Nearly all my friends are atheist oh wait that would only be about 10 people
I went to a black baptist church in Texas. Idk why I felt more comfortable there, but I did. I tried Korean church and one mega church with affluent people but neither felt like a fit for me.
The pastors for the black baptist church I went to were pretty cool and down to earth. Also funny and just more approachable. Some of them are reformed from some pretty dark past, those are usually the ones that really have level of faith and also realistic understanding of others imo. I never felt like I needed to act a certain way around them. Maybe just not say fuck so often.
Whenever I drive by nuns here in Italy, I pull down the window and tell “ciao Bella!” At them. I think they like it. I never felt comfortable with Catholic priests, they just seem so strict.