N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 114: Reformed churches in America, changing system of choosing trustees; minister, how chosen

§ 114. Reformed churches in America, changing system of choosing

trustees; minister, how chosen. If the ministers, elders and deacons

who, at any time, by virtue of their offices, constitute the trustees of

any Reformed church in America, or of any true Reformed Dutch church in

the United States of America, determine that the trustees of such church

shall thereafter be elective in pursuance of article ten of this

chapter, and shall determine whether the number of such trustees shall

be three, six or nine, and the date of the annual corporate meeting of

the church, they may sign, acknowledge and cause to be filed and

recorded in the office of the clerk of the county in which the

certificate of incorporation of such church is filed or recorded, a

certificate of such determinations. Thereafter the trustees of such

church shall be elective in pursuance of the provisions of article ten

of this chapter, relating to the election of trustees of incorporated

churches. At the next annual corporate meeting after the filing of such

certificate, one-third of the number of trustees so determined on shall

be elected to hold office for one year, one-third for two years and

one-third for three years, and the minister, elders and deacons shall

cease to be the trustees of such church. At each subsequent annual

corporate meeting of such church, one-third of the number of trustees so

determined on shall be elected to hold office for three years. If the

trustees of an incorporated Reformed church in America or of a true

Dutch Reformed church in the United States of America are at any time

elective, in pursuance of article ten of this chapter, or otherwise, the

board of trustees and the consistory thereof may concurrently determine

that the minister or ministers, if any, and the elders and deacons of

such church shall constitute the trustees thereof. Thereon the

president and clerk of the consistory and the president and clerk of the

board of trustees shall sign and acknowledge and cause to be filed and

recorded in the office of the clerk of the county in which the original

certificate of incorporation is filed or recorded, a certificate of such

determination, stating the names of such ministers, elders and deacons.

On so filing and recording such certificate, such board of trustees

shall be dissolved, and the minister or ministers, and elders and

deacons of such church, and their successors in office shall constitute

the trustees of such church.