Title 33 — Title 33: Corporations

Secs. 33-243 to 33-264. Religious corporations and societies: General provisions. Sections 33-243 to 33-264, inclusive, are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 5352–5373; 1963, P.A. 67; 78; February, 1965, P.A. 572, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 314, S. 14.) PART Ia GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 33-264a. Formation of religious corporation or society. Three or more persons uniting for public worship may form a corporation or a voluntary association. Such a corporation shall be called a religious corporation and such a voluntary association shall be called a religious…

Sec. 33-264b. Filing of certificate. Each religious society and religious corporation formed under section 33-264a shall file with the Secretary of the State such certificate, in proper form executed, as shall be prescribed by said secretary. (1969, P.A. 314, S. 2.)

Sec. 33-264c. Powers. (a) A religious society or a religious corporation formed under section 33-264a and any corporation or voluntary association formed under part II of this chapter may hold, manage, acquire, purchase, sell, convey and have and exercise any rights of ownership …

Sec. 33-264d. Change from religious society to corporation. (a) Any religious society may become a religious corporation, when its purpose to do so is determined by a vote of two-thirds of those members present at a meeting warned and held for that purpose or by such other vote, …

Sec. 33-264e. Dissolution. A religious society or religious corporation formed under the provisions of this part may by a vote of two-thirds of those members present at a meeting duly warned and held for that purpose be dissolved. After all of its liabilities and obligations have…

Sec. 33-264f. Judicial dissolution. Whenever any religious society or religious corporation formed under the provisions of this part has failed, for two years or more, to hold religious services and to maintain its organization, any members of or persons interested in such organi…

Sec. 33-264g. Receipt of funds by ecclesiastical societies, cemetery associations and library associations. Any ecclesiastical society which is not a religious society as defined in section 33-264a or which is not an ecclesiastical society under part II of this chapter and any ce…

Sec. 33-264h. Conveyances by ecclesiastical societies to religious societies and corporations. Any ecclesiastical society which is not a religious society within the meaning of section 33-264a and which is associated with such a religious society or with a religious corporation m…

Sec. 33-264i. Dissolution of ecclesiastical society. Any ecclesiastical society within the meaning of section 33-264g, which votes under the provisions of section 33-264h to transfer and convey to a duly organized religious society or religious corporation all its property and es…

Sec. 33-264j. Status of societies established prior to October 1, 1969. (a) Each religious society established as a voluntary association under part I of this chapter prior to October 1, 1969, shall be a religious society within the meaning of section 33-264a and shall have all t…

Sec. 33-264k. Construction of part. The provisions of this part shall be liberally construed in the interests of religion and morality. (1969, P.A. 314, S. 12.)

Sec. 33-264l. Prior rights and liabilities unaffected. This part and the repeal of part I shall not impair or affect any act done, offense committed or right accruing, accrued or acquired, or liability, duty, obligation, penalty, judgment or punishment incurred, prior to October …

Sec. 33-265. Legal status and powers. All ecclesiastical societies in this state, in communion with the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, shall be known in the law as parishes as well as ecclesiastical societies, and shall have power to receive and hold…

Sec. 33-266. Regulations. The manner of conducting the parish, the qualifications for membership of the parish and the manner of acquiring and terminating such membership, the number of the officers of the parish, their powers and duties and the manner of their appointment, the t…

Sec. 33-267. Two organizations in one society. When one society includes two or more organizations recognized as ecclesiastically distinct, but in law constituting one corporate body, officers may be appointed for the management of the separate affairs of each of the organization…

Sec. 33-268. Election of trustees. The trustees of each Methodist Church shall be elected by ballot by the members of such church, of legal age, on the second Monday of October of each year, at the usual place of worship of such church; or in such other manner as the discipline o…

Sec. 33-269. Number; term of office. The number of trustees of any church specified in section 33-268, which shall in no case be more than fifteen nor less than three, shall be determined by a majority of the electors at the first election by the church and before the votes for t…

Sec. 33-270. Organization and powers of trustees. Treasurer's report. At their first meeting, after each election, the trustees shall elect from their number a president, a treasurer and a clerk. They shall meet thereafter at such times as they may designate, and shall make bylaw…

Sec. 33-271. District superintendent or presiding elder and stewards may form corporation. The district superintendent or presiding elder and a majority of the district stewards appointed according to the discipline of the Methodist Church, residing in any ecclesiastical district…

Sec. 33-272. Powers of corporation. When such certificate is filed as aforesaid, the persons who have made, signed and acknowledged the same, and their successors, shall become a body politic and corporate by the name stated in such certificate; and such corporation shall have su…

Sec. 33-273. Appointment of trustees. The district stewards of any district superintendent's or presiding elder's district may appoint, at their annual meeting, trustees for any such corporation within their district to supply the places of those whose terms expire, and to fill a…

Sec. 33-274. Trustees may convey real estate to corporation. Any real estate conveyed for the use of, or as a residence for, a district superintendent or presiding elder of any such district and his successors in office may be conveyed, by the trustees holding the title thereof, …

Sec. 33-275. Union of churches; their trustees and property. When two or more Methodist Churches have been united in accordance with the usages, rules and discipline of the Methodist Church, the terms of office of the trustees of the several churches so united shall be terminated…

Sec. 33-276. Change of name. All religious corporations or churches authorized, prior to July 1, 1941, to use or be known by a name or names including the words “Methodist Episcopal Church”, and all societies, conferences, boards, associations or other organizations directly conn…

Sec. 33-277. Election and powers of trustees. The trustees of each Augustana Evangelical Lutheran congregation shall be elected by the ballot of such electors as are by the rules and regulations of such congregations competent to vote for trustees, on such day in each year as suc…

Sec. 33-278. Change of name. All religious corporations or churches authorized, prior to October 1, 1951, to use or be known by a name or names including the words “Swedish Lutheran Evangelical Church”, and all societies, conferences, boards, associations or other organizations d…

Sec. 33-278a. Name changes authorized. All religious corporations or churches authorized, prior to July 1, 1962, to use or be known by a name or names including the words “American Evangelical Lutheran Church” or “The Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church” or “The Suomi Synod” or…

Sec. 33-278b. Powers. Merger. Dissolution. Formation. (a) As used in this section, “church” shall include ecclesiastical societies and specially incorporated churches. (b) All churches being members of the Lutheran Church in America shall have power to receive and hold by gift, g…

Sec. 33-279. Organization as corporation. A corporation may be organized in connection with any Roman Catholic Church or congregation in this state, by filing in the office of the Secretary of the State a certificate signed by the archbishop or bishop and the vicar-general of the…

Sec. 33-280. Property rights of Roman Catholic Church. Such corporation may receive and hold all property conveyed to it for the purpose of maintaining religious worship according to the doctrine, discipline and ritual of the Roman Catholic Church, and for the support of the educ…

Sec. 33-281. Subject to laws of church. Such corporation shall at all times be subject to the general laws and discipline of the Roman Catholic Church, and shall receive and enjoy its franchises as a body politic, solely for the purposes mentioned in section 33-280; and, upon the…

Sec. 33-281a. Change of name of Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren Churches. All religious corporations or churches authorized, prior to April 23, 1968, to use or be known by a name or names including the words “Methodist Church” or “Evangelical United Brethren Church”, an…