189. Organization and conduct of corporate meetings; qualifications of voters thereat. At a corporate meeting of every incorporated church or society to which this article is applicable, the following persons, and no others, shall be qualified voters, to wit: All persons who are then members in good and regular standing of such church or society by admission into full membership therewith. The presence at such meetings of at least six persons qualified to vote thereat shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, provided that any church or society to which this article is applicable may by its by-laws fix the number of members necessary to constitute a quorum. The action of the meeting upon any matter or question shall be decided by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon, a quorum being present, except that by-laws may provide specifically for action being taken upon any matter or question by more than a majority vote, in which event such by-law provisions shall govern any such action; and further excepted that by-laws can be adopted or amended only by a two-thirds vote, as hereinbefore provided by this chapter. The clerk of the church or society shall call the meeting to order, and then turn it over to a presiding officer chosen by the qualified voters then present or to the one designated under the provisions of the by-laws; and if an election is to be held at such meeting, two inspectors of election shall be chosen by the qualified voters then present, unless otherwise designated under the provisions of the by-laws. The presiding officer and the inspectors of election shall receive the votes, shall be the judges of the qualifications of voters and shall decide the result of the votes cast at any election. The polls of an annual corporate meeting shall remain open for such time as may be determined by a majority of the qualified voters present. At each annual corporate meeting successors to those trustees whose terms of office then expire, shall be elected from the qualified voters by ballot, for a term of three years thereafter, and until their successors shall be elected and take office.
Last modified: February 3, 2019