religious corporation

  • August 8, 2016

New Maryland Case Allows Court to Distribute Assets of Charitable Corporation

A new decision reported by the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland has given a broad definition to what is a “charitable corporation” and also an expansive reading to the power of a court to transfer the assets of a charitable corporation that is not functioning. The case is Sydnor v. Hathaway decided on July 27, 2016.  The dispute was between the Union Baptist Church in Baltimore and a charitable corporation that it created, known as the Union Baptist Development Corporation.  The Development Corporation had been formed by the Church in 1981 to hold title to property that the Church…

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  • February 25, 2014

The Formation and Structure of the Maryland Religious Corporation

A Religious Corporation is a non-stock corporation.  As such, the provisions of the Maryland general statutory corporate law will apply to it, unless the provisions of the statute clearly require otherwise.  Maryland Code, Corporations & Associations Article § 5-201. A Religious Corporation is created under Title 5, Subtitle 3 of the Maryland Code, Corporations & Associations Article.    This subtitle sets out the means of forming a religious corporation under a “congregational form of church government” contemplated by the statute.  Mt. Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church of Fruitland, Inc. v. Board of Incorporators,  348 Md. 299 (1997).  However, the subtitle…

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  • January 7, 2014

Are Non-Religious Corporations Protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution?

Francis A. Gilardi and his brother Philip Gilardi are co-owners of Freshway Foods and Freshway Logistics, closely-held ‘S Corporations.’ Their businesses employ about 400 employees, and they have traditionally offered a self-insured health plan through a third-party administrator. As devout Catholics, the Gilardis oppose and wish to exclude coverage for contraception, sterilization and abortion under their health insurance policies. The Affordable Care Act (informally known as “Obamacare”) directs all group health plans to provide “preventive care.” It has been determined that preventive care includes FDA approved “contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive…

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