LRB-5116/1
ARG:emw
2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
November 15, 2023 - Introduced by Senator Ballweg, cosponsored by
Representative Oldenburg. Referred to Committee on Government
Operations.
SB687,1,3
1An Act to amend 187.11 of the statutes;
relating to: specifying Crossroads
2College as the entity in which the Church of Christ's property vests if the
3Church of Christ becomes defunct or is dissolved.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill updates an entity name in statutory provisions related to the
incorporation of religious organizations.
Current law provides a process for the members of a church or society of any
religious sect or denomination to organize a corporation for religious, charitable, or
educational purposes, and this corporation has the powers and privileges of a
nonstock (nonprofit) corporation. The corporation may purchase and hold real
property and personal property, and its secular business and temporal affairs are
managed by a board of trustees selected as provided in the bylaws.
Current law also specifies that if the Church of Christ accepts the Wisconsin
Christian Missionary Association as its missionary organization and the Church of
Christ becomes defunct or is dissolved, the Church of Christ's property vests in the
Wisconsin Christian Missionary Association. However, if within three years from
the date the Church of Christ becomes defunct or is dissolved it is reincorporated, its
property at the time of dissolution vests in the new corporation.
The bill replaces the Wisconsin Christian Missionary Association with
Crossroads College, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation, or its successor, as the entity
in which the Church of Christ's property vests in the circumstances described above.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB687,1
1Section
1. 187.11 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB687,2,16
2187.11 Property of Church of Christ or Christian Church. Whenever any
3local religious society of the denomination known as the Church of Christ or the
4Christian Church
, which that accepts
the Wisconsin Christian Missionary
5Association Crossroads College, or any predecessor or successor organization of
6Crossroads College, as its missionary organization becomes defunct or is dissolved,
7the property thereof shall vest in
the Wisconsin Christian Missionary Association,
8the state institution of said denomination Crossroads College, or any successor
9organization of Crossroads College, and if within 3 years from the date when such
10local society becomes defunct or is dissolved it is reincorporated in the manner
11prescribed in s. 187.01, the said property so belonging to such defunct or dissolved
12local corporation at the time of its dissolution shall vest in such new corporation. Any
13local religious society shall be deemed defunct within the meaning of this section
14when it shall have ceased to maintain at least one regular service per month for a
15period of 2 years. Section 187.03 shall not apply to or affect religious societies of the
16denomination known as the Church of Christ or the Christian Church.
