As Hawaii residents begin another Obama watch this weekend, they'll be seeking sightings at the usual favorite spots for the island-born president-elect: fast food outlets, shave ice stands, beaches, an occasional golf course.

Whether the first-family-to-be chooses to join thousands of other islanders who head for church to celebrate the birth of Jesus is likely to be more a question of security than devotion.

Whatever he does for Christmas, it is what Barack Obama did on the campaign trail that led the Religion Newswriters Association to dub him the top Religion Newsmaker of 2008.

Sixty percent of the participating reporters who cover religion named Obama in the national organization's annual poll on the Top 10 Religion Stories of the year.

Among those he nudged out of contention were Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, titular head of a denomination in turmoil over gay ministers and gay unions, and popular California evangelist and author Rick Warren.

The poll found that Obama “;consciously sought the support of the faith community on his way to winning election as president,”; according to the RNA announcement.

He was part of a bigger picture as the Democratic Party worked to woo church-going voters, particularly evangelical Christians, at the Democratic National Convention and on the campaign trail.

The outreach to the faith community was demonstrated by the venue of the first so-called debate between the presidential candidates. Warren, nationally known for his best-selling book “;The Purpose Driven Life,”; invited the contenders to a nationally televised appearance at his Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif.

Warren asked both Obama and Republican candidate John McCain the same questions—on abortion, marriage, belief in God—in separate interviews.

Obama this week returned the favor by inviting Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration.

The Democratic Party's attention to religion—Republican turf for years—made the No. 2 spot on the Top 10 list of religion events.

The religion writers said stories of associations between candidates and controversial pastors ranked No. 1. After past inflammatory sermons by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright were publicized, Obama withdrew as a member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. McCain rejected the endorsements of John Hagee, a critic of Catholicism, and Rod Parsley, who advocated destruction of Islam.

The third-ranked story was also about the mix of politics and religion. The nomination of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin jazzed fundamentalist Christians but it caused a dilemma for some who oppose women in leadership roles.

The political and religious debate over same-gender marriage was No. 4 with California in the headlines as the state Supreme Court ruled gay marriage legal, then voters overturned the decision on the November ballot. Arizona and Florida voters also vetoed the idea.

Others in the Top 10 Religion Stories:

5. Pope Benedict XVI's first visit to the United States drew big crowds in Washington and New York to hear his message of hope and peace. He also met in small private gatherings with victims of clergy sex abuse.

6. Conservative members of the Episcopal Church are seeking to pull out of the American branch of the Anglican Communion and create a separate entity. It's not just individuals but whole congregations, most prominently the diocese of Pittsburgh. The core issue in the disunity is whether homosexuals should be ordained, a fight started when the U.S. church's governing body approved an openly gay bishop five years ago.

7. The recent terrorism in Mumbai, India, in which 200 people were killed, is believed to be motivated by religious fervor of Muslim fanatics. A Jewish center, where six people died, was a key target. Attacks on Christians in the eastern Indian state of Orissa have gone on for the past year.

8. China used military force to suppress Buddhist demonstrators advocating Tibetan independence, an initiative to present a tidy front for the summer Olympics. The demonstrators interfered with smooth passage of runners carrying the Olympic torch.

9. Faith-based charitable organizations are hurting as the economic downturn leads to shrinking contributions and, at the same time, increasing need for the social services they provide.

10. Religious violence continues in Iraq as Sunni and Shiite Muslims attack each other. Also targeted are Christians; a prominent Orthodox archbishop was kidnapped and murdered in Mosul.