The Ordinance creates a corporate body for the Secretary of the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Singapore, gives it property powers, sets a seal-and-signature rule, and requires a successor secretary to file appointment documents and Gazette notice before being treated as duly qualified.
Methodist Episcopal Location Board Ordinance 1908 2020 REVISED EDITION This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021 An Ordinance to incorporate the Secretary of the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Singapore. [31 July 1908] Whereas the Methodist Episcopal Church has undertaken a Mission in the Straits Settlements and the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, generally known as the Malaysia Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church: And whereas the Malaysia Mission is possessed, as well as of other lands in the Federated Malay States and elsewhere, of certain lands in the Settlements of Singapore and Penang and in Province Wellesley described in the first column of the Schedule for the respective estates and interests mentioned in the second column of the Schedule and which are vested in the respective persons or in the corporate body known as “The Financial Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Straits Settlements” respectively mentioned in the third column of the Schedule upon trust for the Malaysia Mission, subject to such mortgages as are in the said second column mentioned: And whereas the lands of the Malaysia Mission are managed by the Board of Building and Location of the Malaysia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, consisting of the Presiding Elders of the Malaysia Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the present Secretary of the said Board of Building and Location being the Reverend William Thomas Cherry: And whereas it is expedient for conveyancing purposes to incorporate the Secretary for the time being of the said Board of Building and Location of the Malaysia Mission and to vest the lands specified in the Schedule in such Secretary for the time being as aforesaid as trustee for the Malaysia Mission, subject to the mortgages in the second column of the Schedule respectively mentioned: It is hereby enacted by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows: Short title 1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Methodist Episcopal Location Board Ordinance 1908. The Secretary of the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Singapore to be a body corporate 2.—(1) The said William Thomas Cherry and his successors for the time being in the office of Secretary of the said Board of Building and Location duly qualified as hereinafter provided shall be a body corporate, hereinafter called the Corporation, and shall have perpetual succession under the name of “The Secretary of the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Singapore”, and shall and may have and use a corporate seal. [15/1954] (2) The said seal may from time to time be broken, changed, altered and made anew as to the Corporation seems fit. (3) The Corporation may acquire, purchase, take, hold and enjoy movable and immovable property of every description, and may sell, convey, assign, surrender and yield up, mortgage, demise, re‑assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any movable and immovable property vested in the Corporation upon such terms as to the Corporation seem fit. Use of corporate seal 3.—(1) All deeds, documents and other instruments requiring the seal of the Corporation shall be sealed with the seal of the Corporation in the presence of the said William Thomas Cherry or his attorney, duly authorised by a power of attorney deposited under section 48 of the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act 1886, or in the presence of his successor for the time being in the office of Secretary of the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Singapore or his attorney duly authorised as aforesaid, and shall also be signed by the said William Thomas Cherry or his attorney or his said successor or his said attorney. (2) Such signing shall be and be taken as sufficient evidence of the due sealing of such deeds, documents and other instruments. Qualification of Secretary 4.—(1) No successor of the said William Thomas Cherry in the office of Secretary of the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Singapore shall be deemed to be duly qualified as aforesaid unless and until he has caused an extract from the minutes of the Trustees of the Methodist Church in Singapore appointing him such Secretary, certified as correct by the Chairman of the Board, to be filed in the office of the Minister, and unless and until a notification of such filing has appeared in the Gazette. [15/1954; S(NS) 177/59] (2) Such notification shall be sufficient evidence of the appointment, and that the person named therein is duly qualified as by this Ordinance is required. Property described in Schedule vested in Corporation 5.—(1) The persons or their executors or administrators and the Financial Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Straits Settlements, mentioned in the third column of the Schedule, in whom are vested the respective estates and interests mentioned in the second column of the Schedule in the lands, hereditaments and premises specified in the first column of the Schedule are hereby divested of such estates and interests. (2) Such estates and interests and all other estates and interests of such persons and body in the said lands, hereditaments and premises are hereby vested in the Corporation as sole trustee for the Malaysia Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church subject to the mortgages mentioned in the second column of the Schedule, but with full powers as such trustee to deal with the said property as provided in section 2. Saving of Government and other rights 6. Nothing in this Ordinance shall affect the rights of the Government or of any bodies politic or corporate, or of other person or persons than are specified in the third column of the Schedule. [7/97]