§ 35-1-12 — Disposition of property of extinct or dissolved religious organization

When any individual church, parish, congregation, or local branch of any religious sect, society, or denomination, has become extinct, or has dissolved, or has ceased to occupy and use its property for its religious and charitable purposes, or its property may be regarded as abandoned, a suit in chancery may be instituted in the county where the property of such individual church, parish, congregation, or local branch is situated, either by the trustee or trustees, or the surviving or remaining trustee or trustees, should there be any, or by any member of such individual church, parish, congregation, or local branch, should there be any, or by the ecclesiastical officer or religious body that by the laws of the church, religious sect, society, or denomination to which such individual church, parish, congregation, or local branch belongs, has the charge or custody of such property, or in whom or which it may be vested by the laws of such church, religious sect, society or denomination; and the court shall hear the matter and make such disposition of the property, or proceeds thereof, as is allowable under the terms of the conveyance, dedication, devise, gift or bequest of such property, and will be in accordance with the laws of such church, religious sect, society or denomination. The printed acts or laws of such church, religious sect, society or denomination, issued by its authority, embodied in book or pamphlet form, shall be taken and regarded as the laws and acts of such church, religious sect, society or denomination.