N.Y. RCO Law § 15 — New York Code / Act RCO / Article 2 / Section 15
Corporations with governing authority over, or advisory relations with, churches or synods, or both
Status: in_force

§ 15. Corporations with governing authority over, or advisory\nrelations with, churches or synods, or both. 1. An unincorporated\ndiocesan convention, presbytery, classes, synod unless otherwise\nprovided, annual or biennial conference or convention, or other\ngoverning or advisory body having jurisdiction over or relations with\nseveral or a number of churches or synods, or synods and churches, some\nor all of which are located in this state, may at a meeting thereof duly\nheld, determine to become incorporated by a designated name, and may by\na plurality vote, elect not less than three nor more than fifteen\npersons to be the first trustees of such corporation. The presiding\nofficer and clerk of such governing or advisory body shall execute and\nacknowledge a certificate stating that such proceedings were duly taken\nas herein provided, the name by which such corporation is to be known,\nand the names of such first trustees. On filing such certificate the\nmembers of such governing or advisory body and their successors shall be\na corporation by the name stated in the certificate, and the persons\nnamed as trustees therein shall be the first trustees thereof.\n  The trustees of every incorporated governing or advisory body and\ntheir successors shall hold their offices during the pleasure of such\nbody, which may remove them and fill vacancies in accordance with its\nrules and regulations. Such corporation may hold its meetings and elect\nits trustees annually or biennially, and may hold its first and any\nother meetings outside this state if any of the churches or synods\ngoverned or advised by it are located outside of this state. Such\ncorporation may take, administer and dispose of real and personal\nproperty in and outside this state for the benefit of such governing or\nadvisory body or of any parish, congregation, society, church, mission,\nsynod, religious, benevolent, charitable or educational institution\nexisting or acting under or related to it, or of any religious work or\nactivity. Such corporation may elect the members of unincorporated or\nincorporated boards to carry on particular lines of religious work or\nactivity. Such corporation may have in addition to its by-laws, a\nconstitution; and such constitution may be adopted or amended in such\nmanner as the corporation will determine.\n  2. The trustees of every incorporated governing body of the Protestant\nEpiscopal church in the state of New York, shall consist of the bishop\nof the diocese, who shall be ex-officio president of the corporation;\nthe bishop coadjutor, should there be one, who shall be ex-officio\nvice-president of the corporation; and not less than three nor more than\nnine other persons, residents of the diocese, to be elected by the\ndiocesan convention, and who shall hold their office for such term as\nshall be decided by the said convention.\n  Vacancies in the board of trustees, occurring by reason of death,\nresignation, or removal from the diocese, may be filled by the remaining\ntrustees, until the next diocesan convention.\n  3. The trustees, who shall constitute the governing body of the\nFederated Orthodox Greek Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in America,\nshall consist of the ecclesiastical administrative heads, also known as\nthe hierarchs, of the four constituent primary jurisdictions together\nwith the dean of the preceptorial council, the chancellor and the\nsecretary of said federation and not more than eight additional\ntrustees, communicants of the Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, who are to\nbe elected or appointed by said four constituent primary jurisdictions.\n  The term Federated Orthodox Greek Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in\nAmerica, as used herein, is restricted to apply only\n  (a) to the jurisdiction of the Orthodox Oecumenical Patriarchate of\nConstantinople exercised in the Americas and all the territorial\npossessions and/or dependencies or protectorates of the United States of\nAmerica, by its duly authorized exarch, metropolitan, archbishop or\nbishop,\n  (b) to the jurisdiction of the apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate of\nAntioch, exercised in the Americas and all the territorial possessions\nand/or dependencies or protectorates of the United States of America, by\nits duly authorized exarch, metropolitan, archbishop or bishop,\n  (c) to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow exercised in the\nAmericas and all the territorial possessions and/or dependencies or\nprotectorates of the United States of America, by its duly authorized\nexarch, metropolitan, archbishop or bishop,\n  (d) to the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Serbia (Jugoslavia)\nexercised in the Americas and all the territorial possessions and/or\ndependencies or protectorates of the United States of America, by its\nduly authorized exarch, metropolitan, archbishop or bishop.\n  All other Orthodox Greek Catholic jurisdictions, bishoprics, dioceses\nand missions, officially and canonically in communion with and\nacknowledged by all four of said primary jurisdictions, if certified by\nthe secretariat thereof as affiliated with the Federated Orthodox Greek\nCatholic Primary Jurisdictions in America, may incorporate or\nre-incorporate under this section as affiliates thereof.\n  4. The trustees of every incorporated governing body of the four\nprimary jurisdictions, respectively, specified in subdivision three of\nthis section, or of any of the affiliates of said jurisdictions, shall\nconsist of the hierarch or ecclesiastical administrator, who shall be\nex-officio president of the corporation, the chancellor of the\narchdiocese, the dean of the archdiocesan theological faculty or one of\nthe members thereof, and the secretary of the archdiocese, who are to be\nappointed by said hierarch and to serve at his pleasure and, in\naddition, not less than three nor more than nine other persons,\ncommunicants of the Orthodox Church, to be elected by said governing\nbody or by the diocesan convention; the term of such elective first\ntrustees shall be one-third for one year, one-third for two years, and\none-third for three years, respectively, and the term of office of their\nsuccessors shall be three years.\n  5. The trustees of every incorporated governing body of the\nEvangelical Lutheran Church in America shall consist of not less than\nthree nor more than thirty persons. If the constitution or by-laws of\nsuch governing body so provides, the Bishop or president,\nvice-president, treasurer and secretary of such governing body shall be\nex-officio trustees of such governing body. The remaining trustees shall\nbe elected by the annual or other regular convention of such governing\nbody if it does not meet annually, and shall hold their office for such\nterm as shall be decided by the said convention. Vacancies in the board\nof trustees, occurring by reason of death, resignation or other cause,\nmay be filled by the remaining trustees as provided in the constitution\nand by-laws of such governing body.\n