Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-25
NO. I'll.

AVE- go -
AN ACT RELATING TO THE
OWNERSHIP AND DISPOSITION
OF CERTAIN CHURCH PROP
ERTY.
1t is hereby enacted by the General
Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Section L. All properly Of any kind
belonging to or held in trust for any
Baptist church, Baptist church and So
ciety or Baptist society, organized under
the laws OF this state. which has become
or shall become extinct by death of all
its members or otherwise, and which has
been or shall be at any time affiliated
with the Vermont Baptist State Conven-
ton, a religious corporation created by
the General Assembly of this state i'll
1851, and engaged in religious mission
airy work and in fostering weak Bap-
fist churches in this state or connected
with any Baptist church affiliated with
said Vermont Baptist State Convention.
shall vest in and become the property
of said Vermont Baptist State Conven-
ton.
Sec 2. Any Baptist church, Baptist
church and society or Baptist society
i'll this state, affiliated with the Vermont
Baptist State Convention aforesaid,
which has ceased or failed to maintain
religious worship or services, or to use
the property for religious worship or
services, for the space OF two consecu-
tive years Immediately prior thereto, or
whose membership has so diminished in
numbers or in financial strength as to
render it impossible or impracticable for
such church, church and society or So
cicty, to maintain religious worship or
services, or to protect its property from
exposure to waste and dilapidation, or to
fulfill the purpose for which it was incor-
poratcd, may, by all order of the court
of chanccry, be declared extinct or dis
solved, ard the property of such church,
church and society or society, or prop
crty which may be held in trust for such
lchurch, church and society or society, be
transferred to and the title and posses
sion thereof vested in, said Vermont
Baptist State Convention.
The avais of said property so trans
fcrred shall be held in trust and added
to tho permanent fund of said Conven-
ton and the income thereof employed
for its usual work until a local Baptist
church is again osganized in the same
ncighborhood, when the income shall be
used to aid such local church as needed
Sec. B. Any application for such an
order and disposition of property may
be made by any member or officer of the
said Vermont Baptist State Convention
when duly authorized thereto by the
board OF trustees or the executive COM
inttcc of the board of trustees Of said
Vermont Baptist State Convention or
by any member of such church, church
and society or society, upon verified
petition setting forth the facts author
izing such order and dispositi-l OF prop
crty. Upon the presentation OF such
petition to the court of chapccry, such
court may proceed in a summary manner,
after such notice as the court may pre-
scribe to inquire into the merits OF such
application; and if, upon examination by
the court, it shall appear that the maxi
ing OF the order and disposition OF the
property applied for is necessary or
proper for any of the causes mentioned
in section two OF this act, such court
shall make a final order. declaring such
church, church and society or society, cx-
tinct or dssolving the same. and trans
ierring any property. and the title and
possession thereof, which may belong to
such church, church and society or So
:, ciety, or held in trust for such church,
church and society or society, and vest
the same in the said Vermont Baptist
State Convention, it being the intention
and purpose of this act to preserve to
the Baptist denomination of this state,
as represented by the Vermont Baptist
; State Convention, for religious uses all
. property owned by or held in trust for
: any such church, church and society or
society. But no such order of transfer
shall be made if objected to by five or
more members OF such church. church
. and society or society This act shall
not affect revcrsionary interests of any
person or persons, in said property, or
, any valid legal liens of creditors thereon.
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect from
its passage, and all acts and parts of
acts inconsistent herewith are hereby re-
pealed.
: Approved April II, 1917.