You should have the right to leave any church and attend another. You should only do this because you're convinced that it's the will of God for your life. It's important to note that we should attend a local church for two reasons.
First, so we can be fed the Word of God. Second, so we can become involved and use our gifts and talents to enable that church to fulfill the vision which God has given it. If God believes you can be better fed elsewhere, or that you need to become involved elsewhere, He may lead you to leave your present church.
Being excommunicated from a church is scriptural, but not for the reason you listed. I have been the pastor of the same church for fifteen to nineteen years. During those years, people have decided to leave and go elsewhere. I've always given them my blessing. I realize that my church is a local extension of the universal body of Christ. When someone accepts Jesus, he or she becomes part of the universal body of Christ.
"There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling" (Eph. 4:4).
No matter what church you attend, you're still part of the universal body of Christ. You can never be excommunicated from the universal body of Christ. I'd encourage you to pray for your former church. It sounds like there is a problem of insecurity and that people are being manipulated through guilt.
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