It's hard to imagine anywhere in the world has more churches per person than Hamilton Parish — but even Bermuda's 'Bible Belt' has a fight on its hands urging its younger generation to keep the faith.

With at least ten churches crammed into the eastern parish, many older residents are quick to give thanks for their religious upbringing, when Sunday wasn't Sunday if you didn't spend the morning at church and the afternoon with your relatives.

But as with so many places, worship is now way down the list of priorities for lots of young Hamilton Parish people — and it's not gone unnoticed that social problems have risen at the same time.

When Up Your Street visited Hamilton East, religion was one of the first things residents mentioned about their area.

"When I was a child growing up in Hamilton Parish, the older folk believed that God would take care of you, and that's been passed down generation to generation," said one man.

"But less people go to church now. Too much else to do. It's not good because sometimes the parents now allow their children to be disrespectful."

Constituency Five MP Derrick Burgess recalled from his days as a young boy: "When you went to church or Sunday School, that's what you had to do. That's what everyone did in Hamilton Parish.

"It's played a very important role in the upbringing of families in Bermuda. If you get a good Christian foundation, your morals and your compassion for people are basically in place. If you don't have that, that's a void that no one should want.

"Previously when we were growing up we would all be up at one person's house, granny's or whoever. We had that togetherness on a Sunday.

"Today it's different. It would seem that some children decide for themselves whether they go to church and Sunday School, even though I would still say the majority of young people are doing positive things and positive work."

Mr. Burgess said missing out on church had knock-on effects on the rest of people's lives.

"When you went to church you built meaningful relationships," he said. "You knew who your cousins were, as opposed to today, when I think many of our children are not really sure who their cousins are.

"They are probably fighting, doing those types of things against their relatives.

"Also with the involvement of the seniors at church, if you misbehave there's always someone there to set you straight.

"Today we don't have that. Today children have got it better in some ways, but in another they don't have it as good as I did, where you had families and community involvement. Different times, different behaviours — I guess there's some culture changes over time.

"But I think today maybe we don't talk to our children enough about history, about who they are, who their families are, basic principles in life, how to respect each other.

"Everything to me starts at home. If home is not right then it makes it that much more difficult when you get outside home.

"A lot of us came up with no father, but we had the village that helped bring you up. I can remember many folks that helped mould me. I appreciate them for what they have done for me. Even though I didn't have a father at home, somebody was there to help you.

"I remember my first job, I was washing dishes. Some ladies in the establishment, they took care of me. I still remember them today. Every job I went on as a youngster, if you were well-mannered and respectful, people helped you."

Hamilton Parish's Christian roots go right back to the days when the community built Temperance Hall and Cripplegate School for poor blacks, next to churches which were also built by the people, so worship was integrated into school life; the parish also has Bermuda's first AME Church, St. John.

The Royal Gazette counted 11 churches in the parish — more than anywhere else on an Island often touted as boasting the highest number of churches per capita in the world.

Pastor Damon Hendrickson, of the constituency's Seventh-day Adventist Church, argued the church can still play a role, albeit not the traditional one.

The pastor, known as one of the more energetic religious leaders on the Island, said his church had bucked the trend by upping its attendances from around 100 a week four years ago to 135 a week today.

They also provide educational classes for older people and activities such as football for younger people.

"Once upon a time in Bermuda, everybody went to church, whether it was Saturday or Sunday," said Pastor Hendrickson.

"Everybody would agree that back in the day churches were a lot more packed out.

"I think people are sceptical of organised religion because of atrocities, things like terrorist attacks which have been linked to religion.

"But I see the shift as an opportunity for the church, because it gives us a chance to talk about what it's really about. We are about Jesus. Let our voice be heard.

"I believe now, more than ever, we have to highlight the things that are necessities in the community. We need to continue to provide a place where young men specifically can be helped to find their way.

"You do that by establishing relationships with them, doing things that are positive events like the education programme and football on Sundays. There's no hook to any of that."