FELLOWSHIP OF FREE CHURCHES



FELLOWSHIP OF FREE CHURCHES
A LAW TO INCORPORATE THE FELLOWSHIP OF FREE CHURCHES OF SRI LANKA.
Law Nos,
47 of 1975
[5th December
, 1975
]
Short title.

1. This Law may be cited as the Fellowship of Free Churches of Sri Lanka (Incorporation) Law.

Incorporation of the Fellowship of Free Churches of Sri Lanka.

2. From and after the date of commencement of this Law, such and so many persons as now are members of the Fellowship of Free Churches of Sri Lanka (hereinafter referred to as ” the Fellowship “) or shall hereafter be admitted members of the Corporation hereby constituted, shall be and become a corporation with perpetual succession under the style and name of ” The Fellowship of Free Churches of Sri Lanka” (hereinafter referred to as ” the Corporation “) and by that name shall and may sue and be sued in all Courts, with full power and authority to have and to use a common seal and to change and alter the same at its will and pleasure.

General objects of the Corporation.

3. The general objects of the Corporation are hereby declared to be-

(a) to provide a basis of working fellowship among all Churches of like faith which have accepted the Statement of Faith of the Fellowship;

(b) to establish and maintain Bible colleges, orphanages, hospitals and such other institutions as may be considered necessary for the furtherance of the basic aims of the Fellowship; and

(c) to do all such other things as are incidental or conducive to the accomplishment of the above objects.

General powers of the corporation,

4. The Corporation shall have the power to do, perform and execute all such acts, matters and things whatsoever as are necessary or desirable for the promotion or furtherance of the objects of the Corporation or any one of them including the power to open, operate and close bank accounts, to borrow or raise moneys with or without security, and to engage, employ and dismiss personnel required for the carrying out of the objects of the Corporation.

Voting membership.

5. The voting membership of the Corporation shall comprise the following members of the Fellowship :-

(a) ordained ministers;

(b) licensed ministers;

(c) one delegate from each organized Free Church in which there are not more than twenty-five members and another delegate in the event of the membership of such Free Church exceeding twenty -five;

(d) a representative from each infant Free Church that has been in existence for a period of more than one year.

Executive Committee.

6.

(1) The affairs of the Corporation shall, subject to the rules in force for the time being of the Corporation, be administered by an Executive Committee, consisting of the Chairman, the Secretary, the Treasurer and such other persons as may be provided for in such rules and elected in accordance therewith.

(2) The first Executive Committee of the Corporation shall be the Executive Committee of the Fellowship holding office on the date of commencement of this Law.

Rules of the Corporation.

7.

(1) It shall be lawful for the Corporation, from time to time, at any general meeting of the members and by a majority of votes of the voting membership to make rules for the admission, withdrawal, or expulsion of members, for the conduct of the duties of the Executive Committee and of the various officers, agents and servants of the Corporation; for the procedure in the transaction of business; and otherwise generally for the management of the affairs of the Corporation and the accomplishment of its objects. Such rules when made may, at a like meeting, be altered, added to, amended, or cancelled, subject however to the requirements of subsection (2).

(2) No rule of the Corporation for the time being in force nor any rule which may hereafter be passed shall be altered, added to, amended or cancelled, except by a vote of two-thirds of the voting membership at a general meeting of the Corporation.

(3) The rules of the Fellowship in force on the date of commencement of this Law shall be deemed to be the rules of the Corporation made under this section.

(4) All members of the Corporation shall be subject to the rules of the Corporation for the time being in force.

Debts due by and payable to the fellowship.

8. All debts and liabilities of the Fellowship existing at the time of the coming into operation of this Law shall be paid by the Corporation hereby constituted, and all debts due to and subscriptions and contributions payable to the Fellowship shall be paid to the Corporation for the purposes of this Law.

How the seal of the corporation to be affixed.

9. The seal of the Corporation shall not be affixed to any instrument whatsoever except in the presence of the Chairman and another member of the Executive Committee who shall sign their names to the instrument in token of their presence, and such signing shall be independent of the signing of any person as a witness.

Corporation may hold property movable and immovable.

10. The Corporation shall be capable in law to take and hold any property, movable or immovable, which may become vested in it by virtue of any purchase, grant, gift, testamentary disposition or otherwise, and all such property shall be held by the Corporation for the purposes of this Law and subject to the rules in force for the time being of the Corporation, with full power to sell, mortgage, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of the same.

Saving of the rights of the Republic and others.

11 Nothing in this Law contained shall prejudice or affect the rights of the Republic, or of any body politic or corporate, or of any other persons, except such as are mentioned in this Law and others claiming by, from, or under them.

Chapter 437