maybe there needs to be some sort of counter called faith. bit like h/p... but it's difficult as faith isn't something easily measurable, especially when it can be so separated to game mechanics.
from that and the size/influence of the religion, they reap some sort of benefit..
i think hero believers should leave their church with a relic (well... ie... bits of their mangled corpse) when they die in battle. lots of uses for those...
