The church of Sartan is essentially dead. Again. It's just a name anymore.
Look at it this way: if your second character died (executed, killed in battle, deported, etc.) would you quit the game? Or would you carry on? Essentially, that's all that changing the character limit will do. It will have one of your characters end their story line.
And again: if you haven't been on an island recently, you haven't been on that island.
Too bad, I had fond recollections of the CoS as well as the CoI. I had to leave though because I didn't have enough time to play the religious part properly enough anymore.