There is also an exploit to get through the barrier in the church without having an amulet, so you don't need to continue until you can get another and then return for the church.

This may be fixed eventually, but you can use your teleporter pyramids to get through the barrier, though not directly. If you have a character with Telekinesis, you should be able to move a jar beyond the barrier right next to it, open the jar, place a teleporter pyramid in, and then teleport to it.