2540. Unincorporated Local Church Property--Sale, Transfer, Lease, or Mortgage. Any real property owned by, or in which an unincorporated local Church has any interest, may be sold, transferred, leased for a term of one year or more (which shall include leases for less than one year if such a lease is consecutive with the same lessee) to a non-United Methodist Church or ministry, or mortgaged subject to the following procedure and conditions:
1. Notice of the proposed action and the date and time of the regular or special meeting of the charge conference at which it is to be considered shall be given at least ten days prior thereto (except as local laws may otherwise provide) from the pulpit of the Church or in its weekly bulletin.
2. A resolution authorizing the proposed action shall be passed by a two-thirds majority vote of the charge conference members (in a pastoral charge consisting of two or more local Churches, the church local conference; see 2527) present and voting at a special meeting called to consider such action.
3. The written consent of the pastor of the local Church and the district superintendent to the proposed action shall be necessary and shall be affixed to or included in the instrument of sale, transfer, lease, or mortgage. Prior to consenting to any proposed action required under this paragraph involving any United Methodist Church property, the pastor, district superintendent, and the district board of Church location and building shall ensure that: (a) full investigation shall be made and an appropriate plan of action shall be developed for the future missional needs of the community; (b) the transfer or encumbrance shall conform to the Discipline; and (c) the congregation, if no longer to continue as an organized local United Methodist Church, does not sell but may transfer title of its facilities to another United Methodist Church or agency. Certification by the district superintendent shall be conclusive evidence that the transfer or encumbrance conforms to the Discipline. The requirements of investigation and the development of a plan of action, however, shall not affect the merchantability of the title to the real estate or the legal effect of the instruments of sale or transfer to any congregation.
4. The resolution authorizing such proposed action shall direct that any contract, deed, bill of sale, mortgage, or other necessary written instrument be executed by and on behalf of the local Church by any two of the officers of its board of trustees, who thereupon shall be duly authorized to carry out the direction of the charge conference; and any written instrument so executed shall be binding and effective as the action of the local Church.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
1992 Book of Discipline: ¶ 2540
1996 United Methodist General Conference