BAPTIST CONVENTION

MCL ch. 458, subtit. Act 42 of 1842

in effect

MCL 458.151 Baptist convention; incorporation, objects.

458.151. Baptist convention; incorporation, objects. Sec. 1. That said association of which John Booth is president, and W. Taylor, R. Powell, J. I. Fulton, J. Hall, C. H. Swain, S. Goodman, J. O. Beardsall, M. Allen, J. S. Twiss, J. Knapp, J. Harris, D. B. Brown, E. Weaver and J. Michell are vice presidents; and R. C. Smith, treasurer; and D. B. Brown, auditor; and M. Sanford, secretary; and M. Pearsall, D. Barrett, N. G. Chase, C. L. Bacon, R. B. Rexford, W. S. Gregory, S. Chase, A. Wattles, J. Tenny, L. Moore, T. W. Merrill, M. B. Savage, A. Piper, T. Z. R. Jones, W. G. Wisner, E. Hodge, G. B. Day, W. B. Brown, A. Ten Broek, F. Darrow, D. Hendee, E. Comstock, C. B. Taylor, C. Eldred, C. P. Jacobs, R. Tiffany, E. H. Hamlin, H. D. Buttolph, L. H. Moore and B. G. Lewis, directors, is hereby constituted a body corporate by the name of the Michigan Baptist Convention. The object of this convention shall be: First. To promote the preaching of the gospel and the establishment and maintenance of Baptist churches and Sunday schools within the state of Michigan. Second. To encourage the educational interests of the denomination within the state. Third. The disseminating of the gospel, aiding home and foreign missions, promoting ministerial education, Sabbath school instruction, and the circulation of religious tracts. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; Am. 1905, Act 60, Imd. Eff. Apr. 19, 1905; CL 1929, 10913; CL 1948, 458.151

MCL 458.152 Membership.

458.152. Membership. Sec. 2. All persons now members of said association, and every person who shall hereafter pay 1 dollar or more to the treasurer of the corporation and request to become a member thereof, shall be and continue members of the corporation so long as they shall continue to pay annually 1 dollar or more to the treasurer of the corporation, and no longer, and all persons who are life members of said association, and every person who shall hereafter pay at any 1 time, to the treasurer of the corporation, 10 dollars or more, and request to become a life member of the corporation, shall be life members of said corporation. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; CL 1929, 10914; CL 1948, 458.152

MCL 458.153 First meeting, calling; annual meeting.

458.153. First meeting, calling; annual meeting. Sec. 3. There shall be a meeting of the members of said corporation once in each year, for the purpose of transacting business, at such time and place as may be designated at a previous meeting. The first meeting under this act of incorporation shall be at Jonesville, on the first Wednesday in October next. Should anything prevent a meeting at that time, or at any other time, to be designated as above provided, it shall be the duty of the president, or in case of his absence, death or refusal, of any other officer or director, on the written request of a majority of the board of directors, to call a meeting of the members of said incorporation, at any time within 6 months thereafter, by giving 2 months notice of the time and place of such meeting in some newspaper published in this state. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; CL 1929, 10915; CL 1948, 458.153

MCL 458.154 First meeting; election of officers and directors; terms of office; board of managers; powers of convention.

458.154. First meeting; election of officers and directors; terms of office; board of managers; powers of convention. Sec. 4. At such meeting there shall be elected by ballot a president, 1 or more vice presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, an auditor and 30 directors. All of these shall be members of Baptist churches, and these shall constitute a board of managers for the transaction of all such business of the corporation as shall be entrusted to them for that purpose by the by-laws, rules and regulations made, or any resolution passed at any annual meeting of the members of the corporation, who shall have power from time to time to make all necessary by-laws, rules and regulations, and pass all necessary resolutions for that purpose, and to repeal, alter, or amend the same at pleasure, and to require security by bond or otherwise from any or all of said officers for the faithful performance of their duties. The president, vice-president, treasurer, auditor, secretary and directors, hereinbefore named, shall continue to hold their respective offices until the next meeting of the members of the corporation as hereinbefore provided, and until their successors are elected. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; Am. 1905, Act 60, Imd. Eff. Apr. 19, 1905; CL 1929, 10916; CL 1948, 458.154

MCL 458.155 Powers of corporation; legal successor to certain dissolved corporations.

458.155. Powers of corporation; legal successor to certain dissolved corporations. Sec. 5. Such corporation may, by its corporate name, aforesaid, receive donations in money, and may take and hold real estate and personal property by gift, grant, devise, bequest or otherwise, and sell and dispose of the same and use the proceeds thereof for the purpose of disseminating the gospel by multiplying and circulating copies of the holy scriptures, publishing a religious newspaper or periodical, aiding state, home and foreign missions, promoting christian and ministerial education, Sabbath school instruction, and the circulation of religious tracts, and may sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, contract and be contracted with, and may have a common seal which they may alter or renew at pleasure. That whenever any corporation heretofore organized or hereafter to be organized under the provisions of chapter 175 of Howell's annotated statutes, or under or by virtue of Act No. 54 of the Public Acts of 1899, entitled "An act to provide for the incorporation of Baptist churches," shall be dissolved either by the death of all its members, or by the loss of so many of them, that it is thereby rendered unable to do any corporate act, or restore itself by proceeding to elect trustees as provided in said act, this corporation shall be held and deemed to be the legal successor of such corporation, and shall succeed to and be vested with all the property rights which were in such corporation at the time it was dissolved. And that whenever the board of managers of this corporation shall have reason to believe that any corporation organized under the provisions of said chapter 175, or said Act No. 54 of the Public Acts of 1899 shall have become dissolved in the manner above specified, such executive board shall be authorized to file a petition, as near as may be, according to the provisions of sections 1 to 8 of chapter 300 of the Revised Statutes of 1897, for a decree determining the dissolution of such corporation; that thereupon proceedings shall be had under such petition, as near as may be in accordance with sections 1 to 8 of the last said chapter. And upon the coming in of the report of the matter if it shall appear that such corporation has been so dissolved, a decree shall be entered declaring and adjudging such corporation to have been dissolved, and decreeing the said Baptist Convention of the state of Michigan to be the legal successor of such corporation, and to have succeeded to and be vested with all the property rights which were in such corporation at the time it was dissolved, which decree when made may be recorded and have the same force and effect as is provided in section 465 of the compiled laws of 1897. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; Am. 1893, Act 72, Eff. Aug. 28, 1893; Am. 1905, Act 60, Imd. Eff. Apr. 19, 1905; CL 1929, 10917; CL 1948, 458.155 [Compiler] Chapter 175, referred to in this section, consisted of Act 225 of 1897, which was repealed by Act 209 of 1897. For provisions of Act 54 of 1899, referred to in this section, see MCL 458.101 et seq. Sections 1 to 8 of chapter 300, and section 465 of the compiled laws of 1897, referred to in this section, were superseded by Act 314 of 1915, which was subsequently repealed by Act 236 of 1961.

MCL 458.156 Donations; use.

458.156. Donations; use. Sec. 6. All money or property given to the corporation, for any 1 of the objects specified in the last preceding section, to be designated by the donor, shall be used by the corporation for that object and no other; and all moneys or property given to the corporation generally, and without the donors specifying the particular object to which it shall be applied, may be used to promote any 1 or more of the objects named in said section. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; CL 1929, 10918; CL 1948, 458.156

MCL 458.157 Members; powers at any meeting.

458.157. Members; powers at any meeting. Sec. 7. The members of the corporation shall have power at any meeting held, as aforesaid, to provide by their by-laws that any number of persons associated together for any of the purposes mentioned in this act of incorporation may, as auxiliary societies, be represented by their delegates at all meetings of the members of this corporation, and that such delegates may be entitled to vote at such meetings and for that purpose be considered as members of the corporation, and that any such society or any individual who shall pay 50 dollars or more annually, to said corporation shall have the right to appoint a member of the board of managers hereinbefore mentioned, the members of which may be increased for that purpose, and they may also provide by their by-laws what number of members of the board of managers shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business and also to provide for an executive committee of said board of managers for the transaction of such business of said corporation as shall be, by said by-laws, entrusted to said executive committee. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; Am. 1905, Act 60, Imd. Eff. Apr. 19, 1905; CL 1929, 10919; CL 1948, 458.157

MCL 458.158 By-laws and rules.

458.158. By-laws and rules. Sec. 8. All by-laws, rules and regulations now in existence of the society and not inconsistent with this act of incorporation, shall continue to be the by-laws, rules and regulations of the corporation, until annulled or superseded by some other by-law, rule or regulation of the corporation. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; CL 1929, 10920; CL 1948, 458.158

MCL 458.159 Repeal of act.

458.159. Repeal of act. Sec. 9. This act may be repealed at any time by the legislature. 1842, Act 42, Eff. Mar. 19, 1842; CL 1929, 10921; CL 1948, 458.159

Source: Michigan Legislature (legislature.mi.gov)URL: https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/Chapter%20458.xmlFetched: 10/20/2026