63. Incorporation of unincorporated Presbyterian churches and decision as to system of incorporation and government. A meeting for the purpose of incorporation of an unincorporated Presbyterian church in connection with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), must be called and held in pursuance of the provisions of this article.
1. The notice and call of such meeting 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 church and designating the trustees thereof. The notice must be signed by at least six persons of full age who are then members in good and regular standing of such church by admission into full communion or membership therewith, in accordance with the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Such 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, by the first named of the following persons who is present thereat, to wit: The pastor of such church or the officiating minister thereof.
2. 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 members, in good and regular standing of such church by admission into full communion or membership therewith, in accordance with the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The presence of twenty per cent of such qualified voters, at least six in number, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum of such meeting. The action of the meeting upon any matter or question shall be decided by a majority of the qualified voters present.
3. The pastor of the church or the officiating minister thereof shall preside at the meeting for incorporation. The presiding officer of the meeting shall receive the votes, be the judge of the qualifications of voters, and declare the result of the votes cast on any matter. Nothing contained in this section, or in this chapter, shall prevent the qualified voters at any such meeting, from choosing another person, a qualified voter, to preside at such meeting, other than the person or officer above designated.
4. The first business of such meeting after its organization, shall be to determine whether such church shall be incorporated, and if so, the name of such church, and whether its temporalities shall be managed by the spiritual officers of such church as the trustees thereof, or whether its temporalities shall be managed by trustees to be elected by the church.
5. If such meeting shall determine that such church shall be incorporated and its temporalities managed by the spiritual officers of such church as the trustees thereof, then the meeting shall also determine whether by virtue of their office, the board of deacons only of such church, or the session with the board of deacons of such church, or the session only of such church shall manage its temporalities, and be the trustees of such corporation.
6. If such meeting shall determine that such church shall be incorporated and its temporalities managed by trustees to be elected by the church, it shall further determine the number of trustees of such church, which shall not be less than three nor more than twenty-four, and shall further 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, and such meeting shall elect from the persons qualified to vote at such meeting, one-third of the number of trustees so decided on who shall hold office until the first annual election of trustees thereafter, one-third of such number of trustees to hold office until the second annual election of trustees thereafter, and one-third of such number of trustees to hold office until the third annual election of trustees thereafter. The nomination and election of trustees shall be conducted as provided in the constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
7. If any such meeting shall determine that such church shall incorporate in pursuance of this article, the presiding officer and at least two other persons present at such meeting, shall execute, acknowledge and cause to be filed and recorded, as provided in this chapter, a certificate of incorporation. Such certificate of incorporation shall state the name of the proposed corporation; the county and town, city or village, where its principal place of worship is or is intended to be located; the fact that a meeting of such church duly called decided that such church be incorporated, also the determination of such meeting of all the matters required in this article to be determined by such meeting, and, as the case shall be, the names of the persons elected as trustees, and the term for which each was elected, or the names of the spiritual officers and their offices, who, by the determination of such meeting, are by virtue of their office to be trustees of such corporation. On filing such certificate such church shall be a corporation by the name stated therein, and the officers determined upon by the meeting for incorporation and their successors in office, by virtue of their offices, if they be spiritual officers of such church, shall be the trustees of such corporation, or if by said meeting it was determined that the trustees should be elected as such, then such as were so elected by said meeting as trustees, and their successors in office shall be the trustees of such corporation.
Last modified: February 3, 2019