Keep quiet...when asked say you are still tied to your former hometown (perfectly true) and change the subject!

I am a single dad I have 7-year-old twins. We moved to a very small town of 400 or fewer people. We have been here for almost 2 years. About a year ago the wife of the Baptist preacher approached us and asked what our religious affiliation was. Without hesitation I said agnostic. She had invited us to attend Sunday school. I did it very reluctantly. Over that time the Pastor and his wife became friendly. I was having a hard time digesting the religious rhetoric. I started making excuses why could not attend the sessions. After I had made the 5th excuse the pastor's wife asked me if they offended me somehow. I told her straight out that I could not take the religious myths and that I have been a lifelong agnostic. The pastor's wife told me that they understand. We remained friendly. She even located me a cleaning lady.

My daughter's grown now but I was in your situation for many years. I always told her that religion is PROFOUNDLY PERSONAL (in age-appropriate terms, of course) and that we never, ever discuss it with other people. (She liked secrets.) For myself (ESPECIALLY with my "I am a fisher of men" boss) I used the same terms. "Sorry...my religion is very personal and I'd rather not discuss it." Were people suspicious? Sure. BUT...could they openly (or even covertly) criticize me? Nope.

I wish you luck. Consider moving. I'm serious about that.

For professional reasons you might want to consider affiliating with a Unitarian church. The Unitarians have next to no religious content, but might satisfy your business need to look conventional.