KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

     ¶383. That we, the undersigned, a majority of whom are citizens and residents of the State of California, have this day voluntarily associated ourselves together for the purpose of forming a corporation under Title XII, Article I of the Civil Code of the State of California.

          AND WE HEREBY CERTIFY:

     FIRST: That the name of the corporation shall be THE FREE METHODIST CHURCH OF NORTH AMERICA.

     SECOND: That the purposes for which it is formed are religious, charitable and benevolent, and especially:

     To conduct religious services, to Cultivate social intercourse among its members, and assist in improving and ameliorating the moral and social conditions of humanity; to purchase, own, sell, mortgages and lease real estate and other property as may be necessary for the purposes of this corporation; to receive do nations, to receive, manage, take and hold real and personal property by gift, grant, devise, or bequest, and to sell or dispose of the same, and to do each and every thing necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of any of the purposes herein enumerated, or which shall at any time appear conducive or expedient for the protection or benefit of this corporation.

     To take and hold by donation, gift, grant, devise or otherwise any property, real, personal, or mixed, in any state in the United States, or any other country in behalf of and for the benefit of The Free Methodist Church of North America, or any of its subsidiary interests, and the same to manage, grant and convey, lease or otherwise dispose of, and to execute such trust or trusts as may be confided to said corporation, the whole to be under the supervision of and amenable to the General Conference of The Free Methodist Church of North America.

     To carry on a general publishing and printing business including that of stationers, printers, lithographers, stereotypers, electrotypers, photographic printers, photolithographers, engravers, die-sinkers, book printers, account book manufacturers, dealers in parchments, dealers in stamps, advertising agents, designers, draftsmen, ink manufacturers, book sellers, publishers, paper manufacturers, and dealers in the materials used in the manufacture of paper, and dealers in or manufacturers of any other articles or things of a character similar or analogous to the foregoing, or any of them, or connected therewith for the furtherance of the general objectives of this corporation.

     To receive property by devise or bequest, subject to the laws regulating the transfer of property by will, and to otherwise acquire and hold all property, real or personal, including shares of stock, bonds and securities of other corporations.

     To act as trustee under any trust incidental to the principal objects of the corporation or for the benefit of any of its members, or members of their families, and to receive, hold and administer and expend funds and property subject to such trusts.

     To convey, exchange, lease, mortgage and encumber, transfer upon trust or otherwise dispose of all property, real or personal

     To borrow money, contract debts and issue bonds, notes and debentures, and to secure the same.

     To do all other acts necessary or expedient for the administration of the affairs and attainment of the purposes of the corporation including the conduct of any business for profit, providing said profits are used for the objects of said corporation and not distributed to the members thereof.

     THIRD: That the principal office for the transaction of business of said corporation is to be located in the County of Los Angeles, State of California.

     FOURTH: That the terms for which said corporation is to exist is perpetual.

     FIFTH: That it is a corporation which does not contemplate pecuniary gain or profit to the members thereof, and therefore there shall be no capital stock.

     SIXTH: That this corporation shall be successor to and take the property of the following corporations which are hereafter to be dissolved:

     The Board of Trustees of the Free Methodist Church of North America, an Illinois Corporation.

     The Board of Conference Claimants of the Free Methodist Church of North America, an Illinois Corp oration.

     The Board of Education of the Free Methodist Church of North America, an Illinois Corporation.

     The Board of Church Extension of the Free Methodist Church of North America, an Illinois Corporation.

     This corporation shall also become the successor of the Free Methodist Publishing House, an Illinois Corporation, and The General Missionary Board of the Free Methodist Church of North America, an Illinois Corporation, whenever the same shall be dissolved and ordered consolidated with this corporation by an order of the Board of Administration of the Free Methodist Church of North America.

     SEVENTH: That said corporation shall be subject to the rules, regulations and Discipline of The Free Methodist Church of North America as from time to time adopted by the General Conference of The Free Methodist Church of North America in so far as the same do not contravene or conflict with the laws of the State of California or the several states of the United States.

     The Discipline, rules and regulations of The Free Methodist Church as from time to time adopted by the General Conference of The Free Methodist Church of North America shall at all times be a part of the by laws of this corporation.

     EIGHTH: That the names and addresses of the per sons who are to act in the capacity of directors until the selection of their successors, and who shall he known as trustees, are:
 

     That the number of trustees may be changed by a by-Jaw duly adopted or amended by the members, authority for which is hereby expressly conferred.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, for the purpose of forming this corporation under the laws of the State of California, we, the undersigned, constituting the in corporators of this corporation including the persons named hereinabove as the first directors of this corporation, have executed these Articles of Incorporation this 15th day of January, 1937.
 

     ¶383 1/2. The General Conference of 1915 took action to authorize a new incorporation in Illinois, as our headquarters had been moved to Chicago, and they authorized the board of trustees of the General Conference to incorporate. This was done and on December 2, 1915, a charter was granted by the state of Illinois incorporating as above under the title of “Board of Trustees of the Free Methodist Church of North America.” This incorporation was approved by the General Conference of 1919, and this new corporation was duly authorized to take over all the duties and exercise the prerogatives of the former corporation known as the “Free Methodist General Conference of North America,” incorporated under the laws of the state of New York, April 30, 1873.

     Form of bequest of money or other personal property: “I give and bequeath to the Board of Trustees of the Free Methodist Church of North America the sum of ……………………….dollars, to be used and appropriated by that body to religious, charitable, missionary or educational purposes.”

     Real estate:

     “I grant and devise (full description of the land).”