The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 13 letter word DECONSECRATED
D
E
C
O
N
S
E
C
R
A
T
E
D
More clues leading to the result DECONSECRATED
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Like many a former church" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case like many a former church = deconsecrated.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DECONSECRATED mean?
DECONSECRATED verb- To remove the consecration from a church or similar building