225-B - Meeting for incorporation.
§ 225-b. Meeting for incorporation. 1. Notice of a meeting for the purpose of incorporating an unincorporated free 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 members, either in full connection or on probation, of the local society of full age and in good and regular standing. This notice shall be publicly read at a regular meeting of such unincorporated church for public worship, at least ten days, and not more than thirty days, before the date of such meeting upon Sunday, if such service be held on Sunday, by the pastor or by one of the signers thereof; and a copy of such notice shall be posted conspicuously on the outside of the main entrance to such place of worship at least fifteen days before the date of such meeting. 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 members of such church, either in full connection or on probation, and in good and regular standing. The presence of the majority of such qualified voters, at least six in number, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum of such meeting, without which no action can be taken. 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 meeting the pastor shall preside, or in the absence of a pastor or in case of his 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. Such meeting shall elect by ballot the number of trustees decided upon, at least two-thirds of whom shall be members in full connection of the free Methodist church and in good and regular standing. One-third of these shall 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. 5. The first annual meeting for the election of trustees shall be held at the date fixed for the annual society meeting which shall be within three months prior to the session of the annual conference.