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Short title.
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1. This Act may be cited as the Church of the Gospel Ministries in Sri Lanka (Incorporation) Act, No. 17 of 1994.
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Incorporation of the Church of the Gospel Ministries in Sri Lanka.
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2. From and after the date of the commencement of this Act, such and so many persons as now are members of the Church of the Gospel Ministries in Sri Lanka (hereinafter referred to as the “Ministry”) and such and so many persons who shall hereafter be admitted as members of the Corporation hereby constituted shall be a body corporate (hereinafter referred to as the “Corporation”), with perpetual succession under the name and style of ” the Church of the Gospel Ministries in Sri Lanka”, and by that name may, sue and be sued in all courts, with full power and authority to have and use a common seal and to alter the same at its pleasure.
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General objects of the Corporation.
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3. The general objects for which the Corporation is constituted shall be-
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(a) to propagate the teaching of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ;
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(b) to engage in charitable, religious or education activities and for this purpose-
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(i) to establish and maintain contact with other institutions whether in Sri Lanka or abroad, having objects similar to those of the Corporation and affiliate any such institutions to the Corporation;
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(ii) to ordain ministers to propagate the teachings of the Gospel in accordance with the rules of the Corporation;
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(iii) to promote the furtherance of knowledge of the Gospel in Sri Lanka and abroad according to the rules of the Corporation;
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(iv) to promote, foster and protect the interests of the members of the Corporation and safe-guard the rights and privileges of such members ;
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(v) to establish churches and religious organizations for the dissemination and propagation of the teachings of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ subject to rules of the Corporation ;
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(vi) to undertake charitable and development activities ;
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(vii) to hold regular Christian divine worship and public meetings, conferences, lectures, exhibitions and classes of an educational and spiritual character for effecting a transformation of life:
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(viii) to print, publish and distribute Christian literature and tracts; and
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(ix) to assist in the rehabilitation of persons who find themselves in a degenerate and helpless condition.
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General powers of the Corporation.
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4. Subject to the provisions of this Act and any other written law, 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 and 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, to receive or collect grants and donations, from persons in or outside Sri Lanka to invest its funds and to engage, employ and dismiss officers and servants required for carrying out of the objects of the Corporation.
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Board of Elders of the Corporation.
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5.
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(1) The affairs of the Corporation shall subject to the rules of the Corporation be administered by a Board of Elders (hereinafter referred to as the ” Board “) consisting of not less than five and not more than twelve members, elected in accordance with the rules of the Corporation,
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(2) The first Board of Elders of the Corporation shall be the Board of Elders of the Ministry holding office on the day preceeding the date of commencement of this Act and whose names are specified in the Schedule hereto.
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Rules of the Corporation.
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6.
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(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 not less than two-thirds of the members present and entitled to vote at such meeting, to make rules not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act or any other written law for-
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(a) the admission, withdrawal or expulsion of members;
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(b) the conduct of the duties of the Board, and of the agents, employees and servants of the Corporation ;
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(c) the procedure to be followed by the Corporation and the Board, in the- conduct of its meetings, and the transaction of business at such meetings ;
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(d) the election of the office bearers of the Corporation, their tenures of office ; and
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(e) such other purposes incidental to, and connected with, the proper administration of the Corporation.
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(2) The rules of the Corporation when made may at a like meeting be altered, added, amended or rescinded.
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(3) The rules of the Ministry in force on the day preceding the date of commencement of this Act shall be deemed to be the rules of the Corporation made under this section in so far as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act or any other written law.
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(4) The members of the Corporation shall at all times be subject to the rules for the time being of the Corporation.
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Corporation may hole property movable and immovable.
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7. The Corporation shall be capable in law to take and hold, any property, both movable or immovable, which may become vested in it by virtue of purchase, grant, gift, testamentary disposition or otherwise and all such property shall be held by the Corporation, for the purposes of this Act, 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.
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Debts due by and payable to the Ministry.
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8. All debts and liabilities of the Ministry existing on the day preceding the date of commencement of this Act, shall be paid by the Corporation hereby constituted and all debts due to and subscriptions and contributions payable to the Ministry on that day shall be paid to the Corporation for the purposes of this Act.
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Corporation, to be a non-profit organization.
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9.
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(1) The Corporation shall be organised and operated as a non-profit organization and no part of the gains, profits or dividends of the Corporation shall be distributed amongst the members of the Corporation.
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(2) In the event of the dissolution of the Corporation all the assets remaining after payment of all debts and liabilities thereof shall be disposed of exclusively to and for the benefit of any fund or organization, established or organized exclusively for religious, charitable or educational purposes.
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How the seal of the Corporation. is to be affixed.
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10. The seal of the Corporation shall not be affixed to any instrument except in the presence of two members of the Board one of them shall be the President or in the absence of the President, the Treasurer who shall sign their names on the instrument in token of their presence and such signing shall be independent of the signing of any person as a witness.
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Saving of the rights of the Republic and others.
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11. Nothing in this Act contained shall prejudice or affect the rights of the Republic, or any body politic or corporate or of any other persons, except such as are mentioned in this Act and those claiming by, from, or under, them.
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Sinhala text to prevail in case of inconsistency
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12. In the event of any inconsistency between the Sinhala and Tamil texts of this Act, the Sinhala text shall prevail.
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Schedules
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