Joint Stock Religious or Benevolent Associations

C.R.S. tit. 7, art. 51

in effect

C.R.S. § 7-51-101 How organized

7-51-101. How organized. (1) Any joint stock company or association organized in this state for religious, educational, or benevolent purposes may be incorporated under this article by electing or appointing, according to its usages or customs at any meeting held for that purpose, two or more of its members as directors, trustees, wardens, or vestrymen, or other officers whose powers and duties are similar to those of trustees, who shall be agreeable to the usages and customs and rules and regulation of the congregation, church, or society, and may adopt a corporate name, and upon the filing of the affidavit as provided in section 7-51-102, it shall be a body politic and corporate by the name so adopted. (2) The provisions of this article shall not apply to any joint stock religious, educational, or benevolent association formed after December 31, 1967, nor to any joint stock religious, educational, or benevolent association formed prior to January 1, 1968, which is subject to the provisions of articles 121 to 137 of this title.

C.R.S. § 7-51-102 Affidavit of chairperson - where filed - effect

7-51-102. Affidavit of chairperson - where filed - effect. (1) The chairperson or secretary of the meeting, as soon as may be after such meeting, shall make and file, in the office of the recorder of deeds in the county in which the congregation, church, or society is organized, an affidavit, substantially in the following form: STATE OF COLORADO ) ) ss. County of ................................................) I do solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be) that at a meeting of the members of the (here insert the name of the society as known before the incorporation), held at .........., in the county of .........., and State of Colorado, on the ........ day of ........, A.D., 20...., for that purpose the following persons were elected (or appointed) trustees (or wardens, vestrymen or other officers of whatever name they choose to adopt), with powers and duties similar to trustees, according to the rules and usages of such society, church, or congregation, viz.: (here insert the names); that at such a meeting, such society, church, or congregation adopted as its corporate name (here insert the name); that the amount of the capital stock of such society, church, or congregation is .......... dollars, divided into .......... shares of .......... dollars each, and that at such meeting this affiant acted as chairperson (secretary, as the case may be). ............................................... (Name of affiant) Subscribed and sworn to before me this ......... day of........., A.D., 20.... (2) Such certificate, or a copy thereof duly certified by the recorder, shall be received as evidence of the due incorporation of such society, church, or congregation.

C.R.S. § 7-51-103 Bylaws

7-51-103. Bylaws. The directors, trustees, wardens, or vestrymen of any such corporation shall adopt necessary bylaws to provide for the election of directors, trustees, wardens, or vestrymen and other officers and for the proper government in all respects of the congregation, church, or society.

C.R.S. § 7-51-104 Property vests in corporation

7-51-104. Property vests in corporation. Upon the incorporation of any such congregation, church, or society, all real and personal property held by any person or trustee for the use of the members thereof shall immediately vest in such corporation and be subject to its control, and may be used, mortgaged, sold, and conveyed the same as if it had been conveyed to such corporation by deed.

C.R.S. § 7-51-105 Powers of corporation

7-51-105. Powers of corporation. (1) Corporations formed under this article: (a) Shall be bodies corporate and politic in fact and in name, by the name stated in the affidavit, and by that name have succession for the period for which they are organized; (b) May sue and be sued in any court in this state; (c) May have a common seal which they may alter or renew at pleasure by filing an impression of the same in the office of the clerk and recorder of the county in which any such corporation may be formed under this article; (d) May own, possess, and enjoy so much real and personal property as is necessary for the transaction of their business, whether acquired by purchase, grant, devise, gift, or otherwise; (e) May from time to time sell and dispose of real and personal property or any part thereof when not required for the use of the corporation; and (f) May borrow money and pledge their franchises and property, both real and personal, to secure the payment thereof and may exercise all the powers necessary and requisite to carry into effect the object for which they may be formed under this article.

C.R.S. § 7-51-106 Shares of stock

7-51-106. Shares of stock. The shares of stock shall not be less than ten dollars nor more than one hundred dollars each and shall be deemed personal property and transferable as such in the manner provided by the bylaws. Subscriptions therefor shall be made payable in such installments and at such time as shall be determined by the directors, trustees, or other similar officers. The bylaws may provide for a forfeiture or sale of stock on failure to pay the installments or assessments that may from time to time become due; but no forfeiture of stock or of the amounts paid thereon shall be declared against any estate or stockholder before demand has been made for the amount due.

C.R.S. § 7-51-107 Board of directors

7-51-107. Board of directors. The corporate powers of any such corporation shall be exercised by a board of directors, trustees, or other similar officers in the manner and for the time that may be prescribed in the constitution and bylaws of the corporation, but the same shall not be in conflict with any of the provisions of this article or the law of this state.

C.R.S. § 7-51-108 Election of directors

7-51-108. Election of directors. If an election of directors, trustees, or other similar officers is not held on the day designated by the constitution or bylaws, the company shall not be dissolved for that reason, but it shall be proper to elect such directors, trustees, or other officers on any subsequent day as shall be prescribed by the constitution or bylaws.

C.R.S. § 7-51-109 Liability of stockholders

7-51-109. Liability of stockholders. Each stockholder shall be liable for the debts of the corporation to the extent of the amount unpaid upon the stock held by the stockholder, to be collected in the manner provided in this section. If any action is brought to recover any indebtedness against the corporation, it shall be competent to proceed against any one or more of the stockholders at the same time, to the extent of the balance unpaid by such stockholders upon the stock owned by them respectively, as in cases of garnishment.

C.R.S. § 7-51-110 Certificate of full paid stock

7-51-110. Certificate of full paid stock. The president and a majority of the board of trustees, directors, or other similar officers, after the payment of the last installment of capital stock so fixed and limited by the company as required by this article, shall make a certificate stating the amount of the capital stock so fixed and paid in, which certificate shall be signed and sworn to by the president and a majority of the board of trustees, directors, or other similar officers, and record the same in the office of the clerk and recorder of the county within which the corporation is formed; and from the date of the recording of such certificate, the stockholders of that company shall not be liable for any of the debts of such corporation.

C.R.S. § 7-51-111 Purchase of property

7-51-111. Purchase of property. The directors, trustees, or other similar officers of any such corporation may purchase real and personal property necessary for their business and issue stock to the amount of the value thereof in payment therefor; and the stock so issued shall be declared to be full-paid stock and not liable to any further calls or assessments thereon nor for any debt of the corporation.

C.R.S. § 7-51-112 Any church may incorporate

7-51-112. Any church may incorporate. Any congregation, church, or society incorporated prior to February 20, 1879, under the provisions of any law for the incorporation of religious, educational, or benevolent societies may become incorporated under the provisions of this article in the same manner as if it had not been previously incorporated. The new corporation shall be entitled to and invested with all the real and personal property of the old corporation, subject to all its debts, contracts, and liabilities. The words "directors" and "trustees", as used in this article, shall be construed to include wardens, vestrymen, or such other officers as perform the duties of trustees or directors.

C.R.S. § 7-51-113 Incorporation of religious organization

7-51-113. Incorporation of religious organization. If any body of Christians or other religious denomination has an organization according to its mode of government, whether known as synod, presbytery, conference, episcopate, or other name, with ecclesiastical or spiritual jurisdiction over its members throughout this state and its authorities desire to engage in works of education, benevolence, charity, and missions and deem an incorporation convenient for the more successful administration of such works, its said authorities, with such persons as they may associate with them, may cause such incorporation to be formed in the manner and with the powers provided in this article for the incorporation of a church, congregation, or society.

Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-07.docxFetched: 10/6/2026