WHAT	The appeals committee of the United Methodist Church’s northeast jurisdiction will hear arguments from Beth Stroud, a Philadelphia minister convicted of living in a committed relationship with another woman and defrocked in December.
WHEN	The hearing, which is open to the public at Stroud’s request, will be held April 28 from 9 a.m. till noon. The committee will announce its decision within 36 hours.
WHERE	The hearing and the announcement about the decision will be held at the Sheraton International Hotel at the Baltimore-Washington Airport.
BACKGROUND	The Rev. Jim Hallam of the Lima United Methodist Church in Lima, Pa., will argue for Stroud with the assistance of Alan Symonette, an attorney who serves as a lay leader at First United Methodist Church of Germantown, where Stroud served as a minister and remains on the staff as a lay member. The Rev. Tom Hall, who presented the church’s case at the trial, will present the appeal arguments.