Well, church stations are usually AM, and while a small portion of dedicated hams still use AM, the vast majority use SSB, which requires a specialized receiver to hear, because it’s basically one third of an AM signal.

The shortwave bands are abuzz with signals every day. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

But yeah if you’re in a city or something it’ll be harder to hear with the elevated noise floor.

The modern world is full of cheaply made electronics that spew noise all over the spectrum. So most hams in cities will take a portable radio out to a park to get a better signal. It’s actually fun, there’s a whole online game involving taking radios to parks and trying to reach each other! POTA!

Good fun.