WEST VIRGINIA CODE
WVC 35 - 1 - 9
§35-1-9. Power of trustee to sell, convey and encumber property.
The trustee or trustees of any church, religious sect,
society, or denomination within this state, whenever directed by
the ecclesiastical officer or the delegated or select body to
whom the authority to administer the affairs of such church,
religious sect, society, or denomination is committed by its
rules and ecclesiastical polity, or the trustee or trustees of
any individual church, parish, congregation or branch of any
religious sect, society or denomination within this state,
whenever directed by a majority of the members of such individual
church, parish, congregation or branch who are over eighteen
years of age, or by the ecclesiastical officer or the delegated
or select body to whom the authority to administer the affairs of
such church, parish, congregation or branch is committed by the
rules and ecclesiastical polity of such church, religious sect,
society or denomination, may sell and convey any property, real
or personal owned by such church, religious sect, society or
denomination, or by such individual church, parish, congregation
or branch, as the case may be, or upon like direction, may borrow
money and execute a lien upon the church property to secure the
payment thereof; and all conveyances so made, or liens so
executed, by the persons who appear from the records in the
office of the county clerk to be the trustee or trustees of the
religious body making such conveyances or executing such liens,
shall be effective to pass from such trustee or trustees such
title or interest in the property under his or their control as
is purported to be conveyed or passed by such conveyances or instruments of lien, and shall not be invalidated or affected by
any defect or informality in the proceedings for the selection or
appointment of such person or persons as trustee or trustees, or
by any want of authority or lack of power in such trustee or
trustees.
Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2012 1st Special Session