State Codes and Statutes

187.15

187.15 Methodist property.

187.15(1)

(1) All trustees who have been, or may hereafter be chosen or appointed in any society or by any conference of The Methodist Church, (known in this state prior to 1939 as the Methodist Episcopal Church) according to the rules and discipline of said church and their successors in office, appointed as aforesaid, shall be persons in law, capable of contracting and being contracted with, suing and being sued, and defending and being defended in all suits and actions whatsoever, both in law and in equity, and shall have power to receive, acquire, hold, possess and enjoy in trust for The Methodist Church, any bequests, lands, tenements and hereditaments, and to use, administer, sell, mortgage and convey the same, in the manner provided in said rules and discipline for the proper benefit of said church.

187.15(2)

(2) Whenever a vacancy shall occur in any such board or boards of trustees, by death, resignation, removal from the society or conference, or otherwise, such vacancy shall be filled according to the rules and discipline of said church.

187.15(3)

(3) All bequests, lands, tenements and hereditaments that now are or may hereafter be held, received or acquired by any trustee or trustees, in trust for The Methodist Church in this state, for the purposes of religious worship, residences for their pastor or pastors, district superintendents or bishops, burying ground, or for other religious, educational or recreational purposes, shall, with the proceeds, avails, improvements and appurtenances thereof, descend to and be held by such trustee or trustees as may from time to time be chosen or appointed according to the rules and discipline of said church.

187.15(4)

(4) Whenever any local Methodist church or society shall become defunct or be dissolved the rights, privileges and title to the property thereof, both real and personal, shall vest in the annual conference and be administered according to the rules and discipline of said church.

187.15(5)

(5) All corporations of the Methodist Episcopal Church and The Methodist Church heretofore organized or attempted to be organized in accordance with chapter 89, laws of 1849, chapter 292, laws of 1864, chapter 123 of the private and local laws of 1872, and chapter 379 of the private and local laws of 1868, as amended by chapter 385, laws of 1885, and chapter 158, laws of 1923, and all such corporations organized in substantially the same manner as provided in this section, shall be valid corporations from and after the date of such organization or attempted organization and be subject to the jurisdiction and discipline of said Methodist Church.

187.15 - ANNOT.

A resolution by a local congregation to disavow themselves from the United Methodist Conference and to rescind all relations, and a further resolution not to honor financial obligations to the conference and to negotiate dissolution with the conference, "dissolved' the congregation under sub. (4). Title to the local church property vested in the conference although the congregation continued to function. United Methodist Church, Inc. v. Culver, 2001 WI 55, 243 Wis. 2d 394, 627 N.W.2d 469, 99-1522.