New Officers Elected, Incorporation Approved at Congregational Meeting
The congregation overwhelmingly approved incorporation of MVUC at the Annual Congregational Meeting May 6. They also elected new officers and approved continuation of two Social Justice task forces. Kristine Erickson, Margaret Ruhe, and Tom Ruby were elected to three-year terms on the Board of Trustees. Erin Conway was elected to a one-year terms as Youth Representative. Georgia Pourchot was re-elected as coordinator of Social Justice on the Program Council and Ruth Ann MacCleery re-elected for Our Home Community. Wendy Burns and Rob Dickinson was elected for two-year terms on the Nominating Committee.The Board had recommended incorporation because
1) Being incorporated affords better legal protection for the minister, board and members.
2) Being incorporated allows churches to buy, sell, encumber or transfer land without Court approval. Most people do not realize that because MVUC is not incorporated, in order to sell or transfer our property or to take out a loan, we must petition the State for permission.
3) Most banks, lending institutions and companies signing long-term contracts prefer to deal with an incorporated entity.
4) Churches must be incorporated in order to receive grants through government faith-based social service provider programs or private foundations.
5) UU churches wanting to invest in the UUA Common Endowment Fund must be incorporated. After extensive research, the MVUC Endowment Committee has concluded that it would be advantageous for MVUC to move our endowment funds to the UUA Common Endowment fund. http://www.uua.org/uucef/index.shtml
Until 2002, churches in Virginia were not allowed to be incorporated. Since then, there has been a growing trend in Virginia churches of all denominations to change their legal status from unincorporated associations to non-stock corporations. According to Richard Speck, JPD Executive Director, most UU churches throughout the country are incorporated or taking steps to become incorporated. In Northern Virginia, Bull Run, Accotink, Arlington, and Fairfax are already incorporated.
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