What: An Evangelical Lutheran Church in America disciplinary hearing committee will meet in Atlanta on Friday to consider charges against the Rev. Bradley Schmeling of St. John's Lutheran Church in Midtown.

Why: A Lutheran bishop filed charges in August against Schmeling for violating church policy that prohibits gay clergy from entering into same-gender sexual relationships.

How long: The trial is expected to last four days. It is closed to the public.

Procedure: Like a civil trial, Schmeling will be allowed counsel and the opportunity to call witnesses.

The jury: The panel will consist of 12 jurors, a mixture of laity and clergy.

Possible results: Schmeling could be expelled from the ELCA clergy roster, suspended for a period of time or privately censured.

Precedents: The ELCA defrocked a gay Lutheran pastor in 1998 for not remaining celibate. It expelled two San Francisco parishes in 1992 after learning that its pastors were in same-sex relationships.

The ELCA: It is the country's largest Lutheran body with about 5 million baptized members.

— John Blake