Nelson v. Benson

delivered the .opinion of the Court:

This was a bill in chancery, setting forth that the complainants and defendants, residents of Boone county, in this State, are the individuals composing the Norwegian Evangelical Luther congregation, a religious corporation organized under the statute for the formation of such corporations, on the 29th of December, 1859; that in 1860, the congregation purchased a piece of land for its use, which is now the subject matter of the suit, upon which valuable improvements have been put; that the purchase money was raised by voluntary contributions among the then…