322. Meeting for incorporation. 1. Notice of a meeting for the purpose of incorporating an unincorporated United Methodist church shall be in writing and shall state in substance, that a meeting of such unincorporated church will be held at its usual place of worship at a specified day and hour, for the purpose of incorporating such a church and selecting a name therefor and electing trustees thereof.
2. Such notice must be signed by at least six full members of the church who are all of full age and in good and regular standing. This notice shall be publicly read at each of the two next preceding regular meetings of such unincorporated church for public worship, at least one week apart, at morning service, if such service be held, on Sunday, if Sunday be the day for such regular meetings by the pastor or by one of the signers thereof.
3. At the meeting for incorporation held in pursuance of such notice, the following persons, and no others, shall be qualified voters, to wit: all persons of full age who are then full members in good and regular standing in such church. The presence of at least six persons qualified to vote thereat shall be necessary to constitute a quorum of such a meeting. Each action of the meeting upon any matter or question shall be decided by a majority of the qualified voters present and voting thereon. At such a meeting the district superintendent or the pastor shall preside, or in the absence of both or in case of either or both declining to preside, any qualified voter may be elected to preside. The presiding officer shall be the judge of the qualifications of voters, subject to appeal to the vote of the members present whose qualifications as voters are not challenged, and shall receive the votes cast and declare the result of the same.
4. If such meeting shall decide to incorporate such unincorporated church, it shall also decide upon the name of the proposed incorporation, the number of trustees thereof, which shall be three, six or nine, and shall determine the date, not more than fifteen months thereafter, on which the first annual election of the trustees thereof after such meeting shall be held. Such meeting shall elect by ballot the number of trustees decided upon, which trustees shall be of full age and two-thirds of whom shall be members of The United Methodist Church. One-third of these shall be elected to hold office until the first annual election of trustees thereafter, one-third until the second annual election, and one-third until the third annual election.
Last modified: February 3, 2019