Aiming for reform outside church state (8)
I believe the answer is:
michigan
'state' is the definition.
(I know that Michigan is a state)
'aiming for reform outside church' is the wordplay.
'for reform' indicates anagramming the letters (I've seen this in other clues).
'outside' is an insertion indicator.
'church' becomes 'ch' (common abbreviation).
'aiming' anagrammed gives 'miigan'.
'miigan' enclosing 'ch' is 'MICHIGAN'.
(Other definitions for michigan that I've seen before include "American state, capital Lansing" , "US Great Lakes state" , "I'm aching to see American state" , "State of Detroit" , "Lake by which Chicago stands" .)