N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 15: Corporations with governing authority over, or advisory relations with, churches or synods, or both

§ 15. Corporations with governing authority over, or advisory

relations with, churches or synods, or both. 1. An unincorporated

diocesan convention, presbytery, classes, synod unless otherwise

provided, annual or biennial conference or convention, or other

governing or advisory body having jurisdiction over or relations with

several or a number of churches or synods, or synods and churches, some

or all of which are located in this state, may at a meeting thereof duly

held, determine to become incorporated by a designated name, and may by

a plurality vote, elect not less than three nor more than fifteen

persons to be the first trustees of such corporation. The presiding

officer and clerk of such governing or advisory body shall execute and

acknowledge a certificate stating that such proceedings were duly taken

as herein provided, the name by which such corporation is to be known,

and the names of such first trustees. On filing such certificate the

members of such governing or advisory body and their successors shall be

a corporation by the name stated in the certificate, and the persons

named as trustees therein shall be the first trustees thereof.

The trustees of every incorporated governing or advisory body and

their successors shall hold their offices during the pleasure of such

body, which may remove them and fill vacancies in accordance with its

rules and regulations. Such corporation may hold its meetings and elect

its trustees annually or biennially, and may hold its first and any

other meetings outside this state if any of the churches or synods

governed or advised by it are located outside of this state. Such

corporation may take, administer and dispose of real and personal

property in and outside this state for the benefit of such governing or

advisory body or of any parish, congregation, society, church, mission,

synod, religious, benevolent, charitable or educational institution

existing or acting under or related to it, or of any religious work or

activity. Such corporation may elect the members of unincorporated or

incorporated boards to carry on particular lines of religious work or

activity. Such corporation may have in addition to its by-laws, a

constitution; and such constitution may be adopted or amended in such

manner as the corporation will determine.

2. The trustees of every incorporated governing body of the Protestant

Episcopal church in the state of New York, shall consist of the bishop

of the diocese, who shall be ex-officio president of the corporation;

the bishop coadjutor, should there be one, who shall be ex-officio

vice-president of the corporation; and not less than three nor more than

nine other persons, residents of the diocese, to be elected by the

diocesan convention, and who shall hold their office for such term as

shall be decided by the said convention.

Vacancies in the board of trustees, occurring by reason of death,

resignation, or removal from the diocese, may be filled by the remaining

trustees, until the next diocesan convention.

3. The trustees, who shall constitute the governing body of the

Federated Orthodox Greek Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in America,

shall consist of the ecclesiastical administrative heads, also known as

the hierarchs, of the four constituent primary jurisdictions together

with the dean of the preceptorial council, the chancellor and the

secretary of said federation and not more than eight additional

trustees, communicants of the Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, who are to

be elected or appointed by said four constituent primary jurisdictions.

The term Federated Orthodox Greek Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in

America, as used herein, is restricted to apply only

(a) to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Oecumenical Patriarchate of

Constantinople exercised in the Americas and all the territorial

possessions and/or dependencies or protectorates of the United States of

America, by its duly authorized exarch, metropolitan, archbishop or

bishop,

(b) to the jurisdiction of the apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate of

Antioch, exercised in the Americas and all the territorial possessions

and/or dependencies or protectorates of the United States of America, by

its duly authorized exarch, metropolitan, archbishop or bishop,

(c) to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow exercised in the

Americas and all the territorial possessions and/or dependencies or

protectorates of the United States of America, by its duly authorized

exarch, metropolitan, archbishop or bishop,

(d) to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Serbia (Jugoslavia)

exercised in the Americas and all the territorial possessions and/or

dependencies or protectorates of the United States of America, by its

duly authorized exarch, metropolitan, archbishop or bishop.

All other Orthodox Greek Catholic jurisdictions, bishoprics, dioceses

and missions, officially and canonically in communion with and

acknowledged by all four of said primary jurisdictions, if certified by

the secretariat thereof as affiliated with the Federated Orthodox Greek

Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in America, may incorporate or

re-incorporate under this section as affiliates thereof.

4. The trustees of every incorporated governing body of the four

primary jurisdictions, respectively, specified in subdivision three of

this section, or of any of the affiliates of said jurisdictions, shall

consist of the hierarch or ecclesiastical administrator, who shall be

ex-officio president of the corporation, the chancellor of the

archdiocese, the dean of the archdiocesan theological faculty or one of

the members thereof, and the secretary of the archdiocese, who are to be

appointed by said hierarch and to serve at his pleasure and, in

addition, not less than three nor more than nine other persons,

communicants of the Orthodox Church, to be elected by said governing

body or by the diocesan convention; the term of such elective first

trustees shall be one-third for one year, one-third for two years, and

one-third for three years, respectively, and the term of office of their

successors shall be three years.

5. The trustees of every incorporated governing body of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America shall consist of not less than

three nor more than thirty persons. If the constitution or by-laws of

such governing body so provides, the Bishop or president,

vice-president, treasurer and secretary of such governing body shall be

ex-officio trustees of such governing body. The remaining trustees shall

be elected by the annual or other regular convention of such governing

body if it does not meet annually, and shall hold their office for such

term as shall be decided by the said convention. Vacancies in the board

of trustees, occurring by reason of death, resignation or other cause,

may be filled by the remaining trustees as provided in the constitution

and by-laws of such governing body.