N.J. Stat. tit. 16, ch. 3

in effect

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-1 Incorporation; meeting for

Any church of Christ, Scientist, in this state, which is a branch of and organized in accordance with the provisions of the manual of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, hereinafter referred to as the mother church, may incorporate in the following manner: A meeting of the church shall be called by written notice, signed by six duly enrolled members of full age, setting forth the time and place of the meeting and that the meeting is for the purpose of incorporating the church, selecting a corporate name and electing trustees thereof. The notice shall be publicly read at each regular service of such church, on the two successive Sundays and the Wednesday next preceding the meeting. At the time and place so appointed, one of the signers of the notice shall call the meeting to order. A chairman, clerk and two inspectors of election shall then be elected. The clerk and the inspectors of election shall be the judges of the qualifications of the voters and shall receive the ballots cast. Only duly enrolled members of said church, in good and regular standing and of full age, shall be entitled to vote or act as officers at the meeting. Nine qualified voters shall constitute a quorum and all questions shall be decided by a majority vote of those present.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-2 Meeting; facts to be determined; election of trustees; tenure

The meeting shall decide whether the church shall become incorporated and if it decides in favor of incorporation, it shall decide further: a. The corporate title, which shall be "Church of Christ, Scientist" , prefixed by "First" , "Second" , "Third" or other numerical designation, and followed by the name of the place where it shall be located; b. The date for holding the first annual election of the trustees; and c. The number of trustees of the church, which shall not be less than three. The meeting shall elect, by ballot, from the individuals qualified to vote thereat, the number of trustees so decided upon, which shall be divided into three classes to serve for one, two and three years respectively, or until their successors are elected and take office. Each trustee shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-3 Certificate; contents; recording

The chairman and clerk of the meeting shall make, sign and acknowledge, before any person authorized to take the acknowledgment and proof of deeds in this state, a certificate in writing, setting forth: a. That the meeting was called and organized in accordance with section 16:3-1 of this title; b. The name assumed as the corporate title; and c. The number and names of the trustees and the term of office of each. This certificate shall be transmitted by said chairman and secretary to the clerk of the county in which the church is located, whose duty it shall be to file and record the same forthwith, for which service he shall be entitled to receive the fee provided in section 22:2-19 of the title Fees and Costs. Thereupon said trustees and their successors shall be a corporation by the name stated in the certificate.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-4 Powers; sale of property subject to approval of members; by-laws

Every such incorporated board of trustees elected in accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall have power to: Have perpetual succession by its corporate name; Sue and be sued; Adopt and use a common seal and alter the same; Purchase, lease, acquire, receive, have and hold any lands, tenements, hereditaments, legacies, donations, moneys, goods and chattels in trust for the use of the enrolled members of such church; and to sell, grant, convey, mortgage, lease, assign or otherwise dispose of the same or any part thereof; provided, that no such sale, conveyance, mortgage or lease of any real property, held in trust as aforesaid shall be made unless previously authorized by two-thirds of the votes cast at a regular or special meeting of its enrolled members duly called for that purpose. Every church of Christ, Scientist, incorporated according to the provisions of this chapter shall have power to make such by-laws as are not inconsistent with the constitution or laws of the United States or of this State, or with the provisions of the manual of said the mother church. Amended by L.1953, c. 16, p. 144, s. 7, eff. March 19, 1953.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-5 § 16:3-5

The enrolled members of any such church, who are twenty-one years of age, may assemble at a duly called regular or special meeting, and may at such meeting fill any vacancies in the board of trustees or elect new ones, by the same vote required for the election of the first trustees.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-6 Reincorporation under this chapter

Any church of Christ, Scientist, which is a branch of and organized in accordance with the provisions of the manual of the mother church and incorporated under the provisions of any general, special or private act of this state, may incorporate under this chapter upon complying with sections 16:3-1 to 16:3-3 of this title, in the same manner as if it had not previously been incorporated. Where the trustees of the congregation of such church, so seeking to incorporate, are incorporated under article 1 of chapter 1 of this title (s. 16:1-1 et seq.), such congregation shall first decide, by a two-thirds vote of those present at a regular or special meeting duly called for that purpose, that the new corporation, when duly organized under this chapter, shall be entitled to and invested with all the real and personal estate of the old corporation, in like manner and to the same extent as the old corporation, subject to all its debts and liabilities. The certificate of the new corporation shall set forth that such congregational meeting was duly called and a copy of the resolution adopted at the meeting. Thereupon the former corporation shall be dissolved and the new corporation shall be entitled to and invested with all the real and personal estate of the former corporation, in like manner and to the same extent as the former corporation, but subject to all its debts and liabilities.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-7 § 16:3-7

Any such corporation may, at a regular or special meeting of its enrolled members, duly called for the purpose, change its corporate title or the number of its trustees, by a two-thirds vote of those present, who are twenty-one years of age. A certificate shall thereupon be executed by the chairman and clerk of the meeting in the same manner as provided for the execution of the certificate of incorporation and shall be immediately filed and recorded in the office of the clerk of the county where the church is located, for which service he shall be entitled to receive the fee provided in section 22:2-19 of the title Fees and Costs. Thereupon the change shall take effect.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-8 § 16:3-8

Any church of Christ, Scientist, in this state, which is a branch of, and which is organized in accordance with the provisions of the manual of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, may unite and consolidate, under the conditions prescribed by said manual, with any other church of Christ, Scientist, in this state, which is such a branch and is so organized. The right to consolidate two such churches into one is conferred without regard to whether the churches to be consolidated are incorporated under this chapter or under any other general or special law of this state, and without regard to whether or not the churches to be consolidated are both incorporated under the same law.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-9 Consolidation; agreement

Such consolidation may be effected in the following manner: A written agreement, setting forth the corporate title of the new church, the number of trustees of the new church, the date for holding the first annual election of trustees, and fixing the time and place for the first consolidated meeting of the duly enrolled members of such consolidating churches, shall be adopted by a two-thirds vote of the duly enrolled members of each of the churches to be consolidated, who are present at a regular or special meeting of the church, regularly called. This agreement, when adopted, shall be signed by the president or chairman of the board of trustees or directors and shall be attested by the secretary or clerk of each of the churches adopting it.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-10 Consolidation; meeting; election of trustees; tenure

At the time and place fixed by the agreement for holding the first consolidated meeting of the churches that have entered into the agreement, the members of both churches shall meet. The meeting may be called to order by any member of either church. Only duly enrolled members, in good and regular standing, shall be entitled to vote or act as officers. Sixteen qualified voters shall constitute a quorum and all questions shall be decided by a majority vote of those present. A chairman and clerk and two inspectors of election shall be elected from the qualified voters present. The clerk of the meeting and the inspectors of election shall be the judges of the qualifications of the voters and shall receive the ballots cast. The meeting shall elect, by ballot, from the persons qualified to vote thereat, the number of trustees provided for by the agreement of consolidation, which shall be divided into three classes to serve for one, two and three years respectively, or until their successors are elected and take office. Each trustee shall be elected by a majority of the votes cast.

N.J. Stat. § 16:3-11 Certificate; contents; filing and recording; consolidation effected on; property

The chairman and clerk of such meeting shall make, sign and acknowledge before any person authorized to take the acknowledgment and proof of deeds in this state a certificate in writing setting forth: a. The adoption of the agreement of consolidation; b. The name assumed as the corporate title; and c. The number and names of the trustees and the term of office of each. This certificate shall be transmitted to the clerk of the county in which such church is located, who shall file and record the same forthwith, for which service he shall be entitled to receive the fee provided in section 22:2-19 of the title Fees and Costs. Thereupon said trustees and their successors shall be a corporation under this chapter by the title stated in such certificate, in which new corporation the churches uniting shall be consolidated and which new corporation shall be entitled to and invested with all the real and personal property of both the churches consolidated therein, in like manner and to the same extent as such churches so consolidating, subject to all their debts and liabilities.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026