Sometimes the best view of a place is from a distance.

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That may be true of Marco Island, especially from the perspective of a former Islander who left Marco with mixed feelings several months ago.

I refer to the Rev. Joy Baumgartner, former pastor of the United Church of Marco Island, now the “interim” associate pastor at the First Congregational Church in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Nantucket is a beautiful, upscale island where “season” is the exact opposite of Marco’s. Nantucket is jammed in the warm summer months and almost deserted in winter.

I recently wrote to Rev. Baumgartner and asked for her insights and thoughts about Marco, since moving to Nantucket.

On the change from Marco to Nantucket, she said, “Coming to an island from another island has been helpful in adjusting. The small-town feeling is the same, with everyone knowing everything about everyone.

“Many people moved there, bought land and eventually retired full or part-time. It was indeed paradise. But over the years the demographic changed. With increased costs of living, property and such, the ‘pioneers’ moved away and the ‘new rich’ began to arrive,” Rev. Baumgartner said on how Marco has changed. “They came with preconceived notions of what the island should be or become, thus the great conflict arising between the old and the new.”

On how church and town may be similar in the way people involved in both may act and react, she explained, “There certainly are personalities that show up in every church. There are those (among the congregations) in need of power in their lives and they seek it. Some abuse the power and others honor it. They also honor one another and are grateful for each talent and gift given.”

She continued, “If they’re grounded in Christ the church can function well. Otherwise there’s nothing you can do to bring Christ’s message through, no matter how you preach, teach or minister. The Marco (United) church has to decide whether it will be a business or the Church of Jesus Christ. Too many churches have become so focused on money and survival that they forget the most important work they are to do. When there is great conflict in a community, it will filter into the churches and sometimes people will take advantage of that weakness.”

She added. “Churches move through cycles. Just like big business today, people are used to finding a scapegoat for decreased attendance or financial stress. The person at the helm is most often identified as the problem, when in fact it is a structural and spiritual problem.”

Last April, almost 10 years after Rev. Baumgartner delivered her first sermon at Marco’s United Church, she delivered her last as pastor there.

There was a personality clash of some sort, a struggle among congregates. Some expressed displeasure with their pastor and brought about a change.

About 14 months earlier, Rev. Baumgartner stood up at a public meeting and spoke for about four minutes, calling for more civility among island residents. She suggested that clergy here might do more to restore good fellowship. She asked that we all work together.

As she finished, some people in the audience who oppose sewers and many other city government initiatives booed her loudly. They didn’t want to hear another word about a plea for civility.

That’s all behind the pastor now as she immerses her head and heart into her work at that 296-year-old Nantucket church.

It’s challenging and exciting in that place, where apparently nobody boos pastors seeking civility.

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Chris Curle is a former news anchor for CNN and for ABC TV stations in Atlanta, Houston and Washington, D.C. E-mail: chris@chriscurle.com.