NY Rel Corps L § 225-N (2021)
2021 New York Laws RCO - Religious Corporations Article 11-A - Free Methodist Churches. 225-N - Corporations for Acquiring Property for Special Religious Purposes.

§  225-n.  Corporations  for  acquiring property for special religious   purposes.1. An annual conference, a district quarterly  conference,  a  circuit   consisting  of  two  or  more  organized churches or any other regularly   organized free  Methodist  body  may  incorporate  for  the  purpose  of   carrying  on  special  religious  enterprises.  Notice of such intention   shall be signed by at least six members of such organized body  of  full   age and mailed to all the churches existing under the jurisdiction of or   directly  interested in said organized body at least ten days before the   date set for such incorporation. If the meeting so called  shall  decide   to  incorporate,  it  shall  also  decide  upon the name of the proposed   corporation and the number of trustees thereof, which shall be three  or   some  multiple  of  three  not  more  than twenty-one. One-third of said   trustees shall hold office for three years, one-third for two years, and   one-third for one year. All trustees  of  such  corporation  shall  hold   office   until  their  successors  are  elected,  and  always  at  least   two-thirds of said trustees shall be members in full connection  of  the   free Methodist church, in good and regular standing.2.  The  presiding  officer and at least two other persons present and   voting thereat shall  be  appointed  by  such  meeting  to  execute  and   acknowledge  a  certificate of incorporation whereby they shall agree to   be governed by the discipline, rules and usages of  the  Free  Methodist   Church of North America.3.  The  trustees  of  such  a corporation shall thereafter be elected   annually at a regular meeting, notice of which shall have been mailed by   the secretary, or some other officer of the board of  trustees,  to  all   the  churches  existing under the jurisdiction of or directly interested   in said corporation at least ten days  before  the  date  set  for  said   meeting.4.  All  members  of  and  regular  voters  in  such  an organized and   incorporated free Methodist body shall be entitled to vote for trustees,   providing they are in good and regular standing in that organization.5. Such an incorporated free Methodist body may acquire  property  for   churches,   parsonages,   missions,   Sunday   schools,   denominational   educational institutions (subject to the consent of  the  University  of   New  York),  residences  of church workers, dispensaries of medicine for   the poor, rescue homes, homes for the  aged  or  for  needy  and  orphan   children,  property  for cemeteries, camp grounds or for other religious   purposes. Such a corporation shall have power to establish, maintain and   manage by its trustees or other officers such institutions as a part  of   its  religious  purpose,  and may take and hold by conveyance, donation,   bequest or devise real and personal property for such purposes, and  may   purchase and may erect suitable buildings therefor. Any such corporation   may  take  and  hold  any  grant, donation, bequest or devise of real or   personal property heretofore or hereafter made upon trust, and apply the   same, or the income thereof, under the  direction  of  its  trustees  or   other  officers.  Such  trustees  or  other officers shall have power to   mortgage or sell and convey any property under their care, when directed   so to do by the corporation that elected them, having first secured  the   approval  of  the  district  superintendent of the district in which the   property is located and obtained leave of the supreme  or  county  court   therefor  pursuant  to  the provisions of this chapter; provided that in   all cases the proceeds of such sale or mortgage shall be used either for   the payment of debts or for the purchase or improvement of property  for   the  same uses and deeded to the same corporation; or if not used, shall   be held subject to the order of the annual conference in whose territory   such property may be situated. Provided, however, that if  the  deed  of   the property to be sold conveys the property to the local corporation to    be  held  in trust for the use and benefit of the membership of the Free   Methodist Church of North America incorporated under the name  of  "Free   Methodist  General  Conference  of  North  America,"  it  shall  also be   necessary to secure the consent of the Free Methodist General Conference   of North America, or in the intervals of its sessions, of such person or   persons  as  are  authorized  by  said  general conference to grant such   permission, in order to mortgage or sell and convey such property.6.  Vacancies  occurring  in  the  board  of  trustees  of  any   such   corporation  holding property for special religious purposes, during the   intervals between its regular meetings, may be filled by  the  remaining   trustees  until  the  next regular meeting of said corporation, at which   meeting the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired term.7. In  case  any  such  corporation  holding  property  for  religious   purposes shall have failed to function, in the purposes for which it was   incorporated,   for  two  consecutive  years  next  prior  thereto,  the   governing free Methodist body having ecclesiastical jurisdiction over it   may declare such corporation  extinct,  and  taking  possession  of  its   property  manage or dispose of the same according to the provisions made   for extinct churches in section two hundred and  twenty-five-m  of  this   article.8.  Such corporations for special religious purposes shall be governed   in all respects not provided for in this section according to the  other   provisions of this article.