Recently, Synod office staff have received a number of requests for Articles of Incorporation from congregations working on their Payroll Protection Program applications.

Please be aware that the Greater Milwaukee Synod does not keep Articles of Incorporation in our congregational records.

Many, if not most, Wisconsin congregations do not have Articles of Incorporation. Rather, they were recognized by the filing of a Certificate through Wisconsin Statute 187.01. This is true even for congregations that were recently incorporated, as the process is simpler and less expensive than filing Articles of Incorporation. In order to obtain a copy of this certificate, a congregation should contact a Title Company who can conduct a search for a small fee.

If your congregation has Articles of Incorporation but doesn’t have a copy on file, you will need to request one from the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions by searching for your congregation here. There is a small fee required. You may also wish to check with the Register of Deeds for your county to see if they have your Articles of Incorporation on file.

We encourage you to continue to apply for the Payroll Protection Program, even if you hear that the funds are depleted. New information emerges about the program daily– which makes filing an application, regardless of the outcome, a wise decision!