Cellosinner...
Interesting question. In my experience, whenever an elder is privately reproved, he is taken off as an elder and cannot serve in that capacity until the time that he is re-appointed. It's a more serious matter when an elder commits a sin so that he must be reproved because of his heavier responsibility in the congregation. But then if he moves away to another congregation and has some "friends in high places", I guess matters can be manipulated to make it believe that there may have been a misunderstanding in the former congregation because of a difference of opinion, which perhaps could have been the reason why he got reproved in the first place. Or they received a "recommendation letter" from his previous congregation that he was a very good elder and minimize his wrongdoing to the point that it may not have been entirely his fault because of extenuating circumstances.
I remember a publisher in our old congregation many years ago, who moved from Canada to Holland. This publisher did not attend meetings regularly, was publicly reproved for adultery many years ago - yet within 3 months of being in the new congregation in Holland he became a MS and 6 months after that he was appointed as an elder! They desperately needed elders and sometimes the prevailing attitude in another congregation may be quite different, especially if they have a shortage of elders. Interestingly, the congregation may eventually be inclined to take on a different personality similar to the traits of the few elders who are serving there for a long time and as a result those brothers may suffer because of the elders' arbitrary disposition by not being able to give proper and unbiased counsel. Consequently, these few elders may then decide to appoint this reproved elder more quickly than necessary because of their shortsightedness and selfish personality.
Yes, there is a frustrating of plans where there is no confidential talk, but in the multitude of counselors there is accomplishment...
Richie :*)