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Court Order - Wesleyan Church of Princeton, Wesleyan Church of Princeton_5/8/1984. ✓•r.• r! • STATE OF INDIANA ) ) ss COUNTY OFGRANT ) � I, the undersigned, DO HEREBY CERTIFY: ' �1 �✓ �r� r l 1. That f am the duly elected Acting General Secretary of The Wesleyan Church witn headquarters at Marion, Indiana, which is organized as a not- for-profit Corporation under the laws of the.State of Indiana as The Wesleyan Church Corporation; and that I have personal knowledge of the facts herein- after. set forth; and 2. That The Pilgrim Holiness Churcli with headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, and The Wesleya� Methodist Church of America with headquarters in Marion, Indiana, united into one body known as The Wesleyan Church on June 26, 1968, at a merging General Conference held in Anderson, Indiana, where- upon said Churches adopted a Declaration'of Union as set forth herewith: THE DECLARATION OF UNION FOR THE WESLEYAN CHURCH WHEREAS, The Pilgrim Holiness Church and The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America did through their respective General Conferences appoint Commissions on Merger; and WHEREAS, The Commissions accing jointly did produce, propose, and present to the two Churches a Basis For Merger and the Proposed ConstiWtion; and WHEREAS, These two Churches, each acting separately for and in its own behalf, did by more tFian the necessary majorities endorse and adopt this Basis For Merger in accord with their respective Manual and Discipline and did approve union in accordance with the Basis For Merger and the Constitution; and . . WHEREAS, These two Churches in adopti'ng this Basis For Merger and Constitution did authorize and provide for a Uniting Conference with certain powers and duties as therein set forth; an� WHEREAS, The Uniting Conference duly authorized and legally chosen in accordance with the Basis For Merger is now in session in the city of Anderson, Indiana: -; • - - ':, r�aY � 1984 �� _; � . U. `-`.� . AUDITOR . � . GIBSOM COUNTV � . � _.l T - - • Z'. ' • NOW, THEREFORE, We, the members of the Uniting Conference, the legal and authorized representatives of The Pilgrim Holiness � Church and The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, in session here assembled on this the 26th day of June, 1968, do solemnly in the presence of God and before all the world make and pub- lish the following Declarations of fact and principle: The Pilgrim Holiness Church and The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America are and shall be one united Church, known as The �Yesleyan Church. � m i he Basis For Merger as adopted is and shall be the crite- rion governing the process of inerger, and the Constitution as adopied is and shall be the Constitution of The Wesleyan Church and of its two constituent bodies. � The Pilgrim Holiness Church and The Wesleyan. Methodist Church of America had their common origin in the Wesleyan Revival and in the renewal of that revival in mid 19th cen- tury America, and have ever held, adhered to, and preserved a common belief, spirit, and.purpose, as expressed in their respective Articies of Religion. IV The Pilgrim Holiness Church and The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, in adopting the name "The Wesleyan Church" tor tne uni[ed Cnurch, do not and wi�l no; surre.^.der any righ!, interesi, or title in and_to these respective names, .which, by long and honored use and association, have become dear to the ministry and membership of the two uniting Churches and have become enshrined in their history and records. V The Wesleyan Church is the ecclesiastical and lawful suc- cessor of the two uniting Churches, in and through which the two Churches as one united Church shall continue to live and have their existence, continue their institutions, and hold and enjoy their property, exercise and perform their several trusts under and in accord with The Discipline of The Wesleyan Church; and such trusts or corporate bodies as exist in the constituent Churches shall be continued as long as legally necessary. VI ._. . . To The Wesleyan Church, formed by this union, we do now corporately and individually express our love and pledge our loyalty, and we do further sincerely call upon Almighty God for His blessing upon its ministries and labors. Amen. End of Declaration of Union • � 3 � 3. That at said uniting General Conference on June 26, 1968, a �egai resolution was adopted by which The Wesleyan Church Corporation becarrie the leqal successor to The Pilgrim Holiness Church Corporation, an Indiana corporation, The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, Inc., a New York corporation, and other predecessor and subsidiary corporations as listed in said legal resolution as follows: LEGAL RESOLUTION THE WESLEYAN CHURCH CORPORATION RESOLVED, by the uniting General Conference of The Pilgrim Holiness Church and The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, said Churches now being united under the name of The Wesleyan Church, that the General Board of Administration of The Wesleyan Church be, and it hereby is, authorized and directed to cause to be formed and incorporated under the laws of the State of Indiana a not-for-profit corporation under the name of The Wesleyan Church Corporation, said new Corporation to constitute the legal and ecclesiastical successor to, and to carry on the functions of, the following existing Corporations.of the merging Churches: The Pilgrim Holiness Church Corporation, an Indiana cor- poration The Pilgrim Holiness Church Corporation, a Michigan cor- poration The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, a New York ' religious corporation The Wesleyan Methodist Publishing Association, a New York _, � asa-�<n-�. . . . . . ,•.,.. � z- . � me"mbership'corporation ' ` The Missionary Society of The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, a New York membership corporation l'he Wesleyan Educational Society, a New York membership corporation ' Woman's Missionary Society of The Wesleyan Methodist Church of America, a New York membership corporation Missionary Bands of the World, an Indiana not-for-profit corporation The Pentecost Bands of the World, an Illinois corporation FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Board of Administration of The Wesleyan Church shail be and constitute the Board of Directors of said new Corporation and that said General Board of Administration be, and it hereby is, authorized and directed to cause to be prepared appropriate Articles of Incorporation for said new Corporation and appropriate Bylaws for the same; and to designate from among its membership three persons to sign r'-•- said Articles of Incorporation as Incorporators, as provided by law. � . FURTHER RESOLVED that upon incorporation of said new Corporation, that the Board of Directors thereof be, and they hereby are, authorized and directed to qualify said new Cor- _.� _` T �. .. �; � � 7 � 4. • poration as a foreign corporation in such states, territories ' and countries where such qualification may be necessary for the purpose of carrying on•the purpose of said Corporation. FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Directors of the verious corporations named above of the merging Churches, be, and they hereby are; authorized end directed to effect an orderly trans- fer of the assets of said'Corporation to The Wesleyan Church Corporation, looking toward the eventual phasing-out and dis- solution of said old Corporations. FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Board of Administration. of The Wesleyan Church shall henceforth be and constitute the Board of Direcu,rs of each of said predecessor corporations above referred to, and said General Board of Administraiion is hereby authorized to effect the amendment of the various Articles of Incorporation of said old corporations so as to accomplish said purpose. Carried. End of Legal Resolution IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of The Wesleyan Church this 26th day of August 1980 . �' r .. . I ` . �� ���.� PAUL W. THOMAS ' . Acting General Secretary of ' The Wesleyan Church