Rob Smith once attended Mars Hill Church and was a deacon who was on track to become an elder. In 2007, he strongly protested the approach used in dismissing Pastors Bent Meyer and Paul Petry from the church. Smith is the person behind the Facebook group REPEAL THE BYLAWS – EXONERATE PASTORS PETRY & MEYER. He is now also writing about his experiences at Mars Hill at his new blog Musings From Under The Bus (referring to the pile of dead bodies Mark Driscoll famously proclaimed were under the Mars Hill bus).
One post describes how Smith attempted to personally contact Mars Hill Board of Advisors and Accountability Chair Michael Van Skaik regarding formal charges filed by Dave Kraft in 2013. However, Van Skaik insisted that Smith submit his information in writing. Smith wanted to meet face to face with Van Skaik to discuss his experience. According to an exchange of communication between Smith and Van Skaik reproduced on the blog, Van Skaik refused to meet with Smith to discuss the matter.
Smith specifically focuses on church shunning:
My family and I have experienced the impact of having been shunned by our church family. This blog is intended to be a forum for processing, healing, and calling for Christians to understand the harm done to people through the harsh practice of shunning. It is also a forum to understand how to pursue justice and mercy in dealing with those who are victims of shunning, or those who have been the perpetrators of shunning.
I am about to teach a section on ostracism in social psychology. There are significant consequences psychologically from ostracism which might also be experienced by those who are ostracized from their church.