Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 187 - Religious societies.
187.05 - Organizations other than churches.

187.05 Organizations other than churches.
(1) Trustees; terms; purposes. Any diocesan council or convention, conference, synod or other body of authorized representatives of any church or religious denomination or association or congregation thereof may elect any number of trustees, not less than three, to be incorporated; and when a certificate shall have been made and signed by the presiding officer and countersigned by the secretary of the body by which they were elected, stating that such persons, naming them, were elected trustees, the name of the body by whom elected, the corporate name by which such trustees are to be known, the term for which they are to hold their offices, and the purposes for which it is desired to incorporate them, and filed with the department of financial institutions, the persons named in such certificate as trustees and their successors in office shall be a body corporate for the purposes mentioned in such certificate and for such purposes, and no other, shall have the usual powers of a corporation; and the members of such corporation shall hold their positions for such term as the body electing them shall determine and until their successors are duly elected. Upon the receipt of such certificate, the department of financial institutions shall issue a certificate of incorporation. But any diocesan council or convention, conference, synod or other body composed of or divided into district synods or other units may provide in its constitution for the election of one or more of its trustees by one or more of such district synods or other units or that one or more of its trustees shall be elected by said diocesan council or convention, conference, synod or other body from one or more of such district synods or other units.
(2) Body corporate to hold title. When any diocesan council, convention or conference or any synod or other body of authorized representatives of any church, or religious denomination, shall have elected trustees and such trustees shall have become a body corporate as provided in sub. (1), the title to all moneys and to all property, real, personal and mixed, and to all legacies and bequests that shall be given, granted, devised or bequeathed to or be purchased by such diocesan council, convention, conference, synod or other body of authorized representatives of any church or religious denomination, shall vest in the body corporate, formed by such trustees and shall be used, managed and conveyed by such corporation under the direction of and for such uses and purposes and to the extent and under such restrictions and limitations as may from time to time be prescribed by such diocesan council, convention, conference, synod or other body of authorized representatives of such church or religious denomination.
(3) Incorporation of denominational bodies; declaration by members; powers; reorganization.
(a) Any denominational body mentioned in sub. (1) having a constitution (or other instrument of organization), in writing, at any stated meeting may vote to become a corporation and designate any of its members of adult age, not less than 10 in number, to make, acknowledge and file with the department of financial institutions a certificate substantially in the following form:
Know all by these presents: That the undersigned (insert the names of the signers) members of the denominational body herein named, by vote of such body taken at its .... meeting, held on the .... day of ...., .... (year), at ...., Wisconsin, and all others who now are or hereafter may become associated with them in said body, for the purpose of forming a corporation under the laws of Wisconsin, declare:
1. The name of such organization shall be (here insert the proper name).
2. The principal office of the corporation shall be at (here insert the name of the place).
3. The membership, officers and directors of the corporation are as set forth in its constitution (or other written instrument of organization) hereto attached.
4. The corporation may amend its constitution (or other written instrument of organization) as therein provided, and file with the department of financial institutions a certificate thereof duly acknowledged.
5. Any affiliated corporation of the denomination may become a member of the corporation in the manner provided in its constitution (or other written instrument of organization).
(Signatures.)
(Certificate of acknowledgment.)
(b) Such corporation may take by gift or purchase for the purposes for which it exists, any real or personal estate.
(c) Such corporation shall have the power and privileges and exercise the rights and be subject to the obligations imposed upon corporations organized under general law.
(d) Any such denominational body having incorporated and elected trustees under sub. (1) may reorganize under this section and accept from its trustees a conveyance of any real estate and proper transfer of any other property.
History: 1975 c. 94 s. 91 (8); 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 250.