CS State Law

State Statutes: Below are a few excerpts taken from various state statues. State law can be complicated and all states are NOT created equal when it comes to being “corporate sole” friendly. It pays to do your homework.

California – CCC 10002.: A corporation sole may be formed under this part by the bishop, chief priest, presiding elder, or other presiding officer of any religious denomination, society, or church, for the purpose of administering and managing the affairs, property, and temporalities thereof.
Wyoming – 17-8-106.: Incorporation by body of Christians for purposes of education, benevolence, charity and missions. If any body of Christians has or shall have, according to its order or mode of government, an organization, whether known as synod, presbytery, conference, episcopate or other name, with ecclesiastical or spiritual jurisdiction over its members throughout this state, and its authorities shall desire to engage in work of education, benevolence, charity and missions, which works shall be of like extensive operation and benefit, and not of limited or local service, and they shall deem an incorporation convenient for the more successful operation of said works, all, or any of them, 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 hereinbefore provided for the incorporation of a church, congregation or society.
Nevada – NRS 84.020: Articles of incorporation: Authority to make and file. An archbishop, bishop, president, trustee in trust, president of stake, president of congregation, overseer, presiding elder, district superintendent, other presiding officer or clergyman of a church or religious society or denomination, who has been chosen, elected or appointed in conformity with the constitution, canons, rites, regulations or discipline of the church or religious society or denomination, and in whom is vested the legal title to property held for the purposes, use or benefit of the church or religious society or denomination, may make and sign written articles of incorporation, in duplicate, and file one copy of the articles, together with a certificate of acceptance of appointment signed by the resident agent of the corporation, in the Office of the Secretary of State and retain possession of the other.