Relating to disaffiliation from religious denominations

SB 561 establishes rules for local religious organizations in West Virginia seeking to disaffiliate from a parent denomination or conference. It requires a two-thirds vote of the local membership for disaffiliation approval and divides property into three classes: real estate (Class A), personal property (Class B), and financial assets (Class C). For real estate, a local church may retain a parcel if over 50% of its acquisition costs were raised locally (excluding parent funds), but must reimburse the parent for documented investments - though the parent must prove ownership claims within 60 days via receipts or records. If the parent fails to provide required documentation, the local church keeps the property without reimbursement for unproven claims.