It is, but you can get that rather quickly. Praying at shrines gives you 1 or 2 standing, depending on the amount of money you give. The church job gives you 1. This means that you can get 9 standing per week if you really set your mind to it.
Faction ranking is supposed to be kinda slow, so that it doesn't end up like in bethesda games, where you can become a faction leader in a matter of days.