17-1716b.   Same; determination of whether church extinct.(a) Any Congregational Church, Congregational and ChristianChurch or any church or society affiliated with the Kansas Congregationaland Christian Conference, the Central-South Conference of the Congregational-ChristianChurches and the Kansas City Synod of the Evangelical and Reformed Church,in this state which (1) has ceased or failed to maintainreligious worship or services, or to use its property for religiousworship or services according to the tenets, usages and customs of suchchurch or society in this state for a period of twoconsecutive years immediatelyprior thereto, or to protect its property from exposure,waste and dilapidation, or to fulfill the purposes for which it wasorganized, created or incorporated; or (2) has diminished in membershipor financial strength so as to render it impossible or impracticable forany such church or society to maintain its organization, shall be deemed and taken to beextinct and may by an order of the district court of the county in whichsuch church or society has been theretofore situated to be so declaredextinct and dissolved. Thereupon all the property of every kind ofsuch church or society, or property which may be held in trust for suchchurch or society shall be transferred to, and the title and possessionthereof vested absolutely in the Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the UnitedChurch of Christ.

      (b)   This section shall not affect any existing reversionary interestsin the property or any liens existing thereon.

      (c)   The intent and purpose of this section is to preserve for religiouspurposes all property owned by or held in trust for any such extinct church or society.

      History:   L. 1933, ch. 157, § 2; L. 1981, ch. 100, § 2; July 1.