The attempt to avoid having to make this information publicly available

I have tried to follow the biblical procedure as laid out in Matt 18:15-20

This involved the following:

1. Extensive attempts to clarify what had taken place by email and to meet face to face to discuss any possible way forwards towards reconciliation in truth and justice. Our attempts to clarify what should be relatively straight forward matters have been met with obstruction and partial explanation that explains nothing satisfactorily. We have exhausted all attempts to resolve this by means of one to one processes, the addition of further witnesses to bring increased pressure to bear.

2. Attempts to persuade the elders and the church to agree to third party mediation. This has been consistently refused despite this appearing to be a proper Christian approach.

3. Attempts to persuade local church leaders to come to clear agreement about what had happened and then to unitedly appeal to GEC to listen to the weight of united local agreement. All attempts along this route have met with the response that local church independency means that there is no possibility of further appeal once a local church has made this kind of decision. This is clearly in contravention of the 1689 Baptist Confession of faith which makes explicit provision for this kind of situation in paragraph 15:

In cases of difficulties or differences, either in point of doctrine or administration, wherein either the churches in general are concerned, or any one church, in their peace, union, and edification; or any member or members of any church are injured, in or by any proceedings in censures not agreeable to truth and order: it is according to the mind of Christ, that many churches holding communion together, do, by their messengers, meet to consider, and give their advice in or about that matter in difference, to be reported to all the churches concerned;29 howbeit these messengers assembled, are not intrusted with any church-power properly so called; or with any jurisdiction over the churches themselves, to exercise any censures either over any churches or persons; or to impose their determination on the churches or officers.

This is the confession Grace Evangelical Church claims to subscribe to on their website:

For a fuller overview of what is endorsed at Grace Evangelical Church, please see the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith.

This is also clearly in contravention of clear biblical teaching and example. In the NT local church difficulties became interchurch concerns. There is a one body view in mind in the NT view of the church. It is clear that when wrong teaching and preaching is involved this necessarily impacts all the churches in which the preacher or teacher preaches and teaches.

The whole nature and seriousness of excommunication has always been understood to apply to the entire church as the body of Christ univerally not simply to one local church. We are not meant to start from scratch just because a disciplined person moves to another church.

4. Attempts to involve the Evangelical Times Board as John Tredgett's employer. John is the church news editor of this newspaper and any lack of integrity in his dealings with the situation at Grace Evangelical Church, Carlisle necessarily impacts the trust that Christians aware of this situation have in his ability to report with integrity for the newspaper. Again the Evangelical Times board have refused to take any part in this whatsoever, appealing to an interpretation of the "absolute sovereignty and independency" of the local church.