How to Hold Church Property Legally by Dudley Marvin Canright

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 25, 1878

How to Hold Church Property Legally.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

SEVERAL instances have lately come to my knowledge where brethren have built a meeting-house, and had it deeded, either directly to the church or to trustees elected by the church. These brethren, not being informed in the case, suppose that this is legal; but the fact is there is nothing legal about it. Such churches have no title to their meeting-houses. So far as I am acquainted, the law of every State makes it necessary to have a separate and legally organized society, with articles of association carefully recorded in the county clerk's office, in order to hold church property.

Our simple church organization is not a legally organized body, and hence cannot hold property. As a great many meeting-houses are being built, the brethren ought to look after these things, lest a good deal of law should come in the future.

Sometimes in obtaining subscriptions to build a meeting-house we have made promises to let others use the house when not wanted by ourselves. Almost always this results in getting into difficulty and creating hard feelings. The best way is to make no such promises. Simply tell the people you propose to build an out-and-out Seventh-day Adventist church. You will get just as much help as you will to do the other way; and then your hands are free to do as you like. D. M. CANRIGHT.