Status of societies established prior to October 1, 1969

(a) Each religious society established as a voluntary association under part I of this chapter prior to October 1, 1969, shall be a religious society within the meaning of section 33-264a and shall have all the rights, powers, privileges and immunities thereof without further filing with the Secretary of the State. Each church and each religious society formed for public worship and established as a corporation under said part I of this chapter prior to October 1, 1969, shall be a religious corporation within the meaning of section 33-264a and shall have all the rights, powers, privileges and immunities thereof without further filing with said office. (b) Nothing in this part shall be construed as limiting or restricting the rights, powers, privileges, immunities or the practices of any church or religious society established or incorporated prior to October 1, 1969, under this chapter or under any other law or special charter of this state; nor as requiring any such church or religious society to alter or change any rule of discipline, custom or usage in respect to its policy or government; nor as interfering with the lawful acquisition, purchase, use, management, conveyance, sale or other disposition of any property, real or personal, owned or held on said date for public religious worship or otherwise by any such church or religious society; nor as interfering with the lawful receipt of any grants, donations or funds, in trust or otherwise, for any charitable, educational or ecclesiastical purposes, including but not limited to public religious worship or missionary purposes, by any such church or religious society; nor as interfering with the rights of any such church or religious society; to have succession by its corporate name for the time stated in its articles of association or of incorporation and, when no time is stated, perpetually; to sue and be sued and complain and defend in any court; to have and use a corporate seal and alter the same at pleasure; to elect in such manner as it may determine all necessary officers and to define their duties and obligations; and to make reasonable bylaws for its government, the regulation of ecclesiastical affairs and the management of property, including the holding, purchasing, selling or conveying of such property, real or personal, which it may have taken in payment of or as security for debts due to it.