Virginia Code

Va. Code Ann. § 57-16.1 (2026)

Property of unincorporated church held by corporation

✓ current as of May 2026

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Whenever the laws, rules, or ecclesiastic polity of an unincorporated church or religious body provide for it to create a corporation to hold, administer, and manage its real and personal property, such corporation shall have the power to (i) acquire by deed, devise, gift, purchase, or otherwise, any real or personal property for any purpose authorized and permitted by the laws, rules, or ecclesiastic polity of the church or body, and not prohibited by the law of the Commonwealth and (ii) hold, improve, mortgage, sell, and convey the same in accordance with such law, rules, and ecclesiastic polity, and in accordance with the law of the Commonwealth.

2005, cc. 772, 928.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2008–2022 · leading case: In re Multi-Circuit Episcopal Church Prop. Litig., 84 Va. Cir. 105 (Fairfax Cir. Ct. 2012).

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In re Multi-Circuit Episcopal Church Prop. Litig., 84 Va. Cir. 105 (Fairfax Cir. Ct. 2012). · cites it 21× “Va. Code § 57-16.1 (2011). *157 The CANA Congregations argue that the reference in the statute to a “church or religious body” is intended to be a reference to a local church only, not to a denomination or diocese.”

In re Multi-Circuit Episcopal Church Prop. Litig., 76 Va. Cir. 1 (Fairfax Cir. Ct. 2008). · cites it 13× “Va. Code § 57-16.1 states: Whenever the laws, rules, or ecclesiastic polity of an unincorporated church or religious body provide for it to create a corporation to hold, administer, and manage its real and personal property, such corporation shall have the power to (i) acquire…”

Emmanuel Worship Ctr. v. City of Petersburg (Va. 2022). “Real property and personal property owned by churches or religious bodies, including (i) an incorporated church or religious body and (ii) a corporation mentioned in § 57-16.1, and exclusively occupied or used for religious worship or for the residence of the minister of any…”

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