N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 180: Corporation, how formed

§ 180. Corporation, how formed. Any seven or more persons of full age,

citizens of the United States, and a majority of them being residents of

this state, who shall associate themselves for the purpose of founding

and continuing one or more free churches, may make, sign and

acknowledge, before any officer authorized to take the acknowledgment of

deeds of land to be recorded in this state, and may file in the office

of the secretary of state, and also of the clerk of the county in which

any such church is to be established, and record as provided in section

three of this chapter, a certificate in writing, in which shall be

stated the name or title by which such society shall be known in the

law, the purpose of its organization, and the names of seven trustees,

of whom not less than five shall be persons who are not ministers of the

gospel or priests of any denomination, to manage the same; but such

certificate shall not be filed, unless with the written consent and

approbation of a justice of the supreme court of the district in which

any such church shall be intended to be established, to be indorsed on

such certificate.