Title RCO, Religious Corporations

§ 4. Property of unincorporated society transferred by its incorporation. All the temporalities and property of an unincorporated church, or of any unincorporated religious society, body, association or congregation, shall, on the incorporation thereof, become the temporalities …

§ 4-a. Age qualifications of voters. To vote at a corporate meeting of a corporation to which this chapter applies, persons, otherwise qualified to vote, shall be of full age unless (1) the age qualifications for voting at corporate meetings are fixed by or pursuant to an applic…

§ 40. Meeting for incorporation. Notice of a meeting for the purpose of incorporating an unincorporated Protestant Episcopal parish or congregation, and of electing the first churchwardens and vestrymen thereof, shall specify the object, time and place of such meeting, and shall…

§ 400. Application of article. 1. This article applies to religious societies which are members of the Unitarian Universalist Association at the time of incorporation under this article. The term "society" includes churches and fellowships. 2. Incorporation under this article do…

§ 401. Incorporation of an unincorporated society. Any five members of an unincorporated religious society, who are of full age, may call a meeting for the purpose of incorporating such society under this article. The notice of such meeting shall be mailed at least fourteen days…

§ 402. Meeting for incorporation of unincorporated society. At a meeting for incorporation held pursuant to section four hundred one, the qualified voters, until otherwise decided as hereafter provided, shall be all persons of full age who are members of the unincorporated socie…

§ 403. Certificate of incorporation. (a) If the meeting held pursuant to section four hundred two shall decide that the unincorporated society shall become incorporated, the presiding officer of such meeting and the two inspectors of election shall execute a certificate entitled…

§ 404. Formation of a new society. Five or more persons of full age may form a corporation under this article by holding a meeting for incorporation in accordance with section four hundred two hereof, at which all of them shall be qualified voters. If the majority of those atten…

§ 405. Re-incorporation of existing corporation. Any previously incorporated society, to which this article is applicable, may re-incorporate it under the provisions of this article by the same procedure set forth for incorporation, substituting at appropriate places the word "r…

§ 406. Time, place and notice of corporate meetings. (a) The annual corporate meeting of every society incorporated under this article shall be held at the time and place fixed by its by-laws, or if no time and place be so fixed, then at a time and place to be first fixed by its…

§ 407. Qualifications of members and voters. (a) Each person admitted to membership pursuant to the by-laws shall be a member of the corporation until his membership shall terminate by death, resignation or as otherwise provided in the by-laws. (b) Every member of the society sh…

§ 408. Trustees. (a) The society shall be administered by its trustees. The trustees shall be responsible to the members. (b) The by-laws shall provide for the term of office of the trustees and may provide for the division of the trustees into classes.

§ 409. Ministers. Any minister shall be called or removed and the salary fixed or changed by a vote of the majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of such corporation called for that purpose, unless the by-laws provide otherwise.

§ 41. Certificate of incorporation. If such meeting shall decide in favor of incorporation and comply with the next preceding section, the presiding officer of such meeting and at least two other persons present and voting thereat, shall execute and acknowledge a certificate of …

§ 410. By-laws. (a) The initial by-laws of a society shall be adopted at the meeting for incorporation. By-laws may thereafter be amended, repealed or adopted as provided in the by-laws. But in the absence of such provision, by-laws may be amended, repealed or adopted by a vote …

§ 411. Real estate. (a) A society shall not sell or mortgage any of its real property without applying for and obtaining leave of the court therefor pursuant to the provisions of article five of the not-for-profit corporation law. (b) If a sale or mortgage of any real property o…

§ 412. Merger and consolidation. A. (a) Two or more societies incorporated under this article may enter into an agreement for consolidation or merger. No such agreement shall be valid unless approved by a vote of two-thirds of the members of each constituent society present and …

§ 413. Dissolution. (a) Whenever two-thirds of the voting members of the society, present at a meeting called for that purpose, decide to dissolve the corporation, they may, by its duly elected officers or trustees or such agents as may be elected at such meeting, make a petitio…

§ 414. Amendment. A society may amend its certificate of incorporation at any time, provided that such amendment contains only such provisions as might be properly contained in an original certificate of incorporation filed at the time of making such amendment. Any such amendmen…

§ 42. Corporate trustees, vestry; powers and duties thereof. No meeting of the vestry or trustees of any incorporated Protestant Episcopal parish or church shall be held unless either all the members thereof are present, or three days' notice thereof shall be given to each membe…

§ 42-a. Additional powers of the corporate trustees and vestry. Notwithstanding and in addition to the provisions of section five of this chapter, and subject always to the trust in which all real and personal property is held for the Protestant Episcopal Church and the Diocese …

§ 420. Application. 1. This article applies to any unincorporated church, church school, seminary or other organization affiliated with the New York district of the Assemblies of God or with the general council of the Assemblies of God with headquarters at Springfield, Missouri,…

§ 421. Assemblies of God schools; seminaries and agencies of social relief. 1. Any church school, biblical seminary for the preparation of candidates for the ministry leading to ordination and the granting of credentials of ecclesiastical degrees in theology, other than those au…

§ 422. Approval for incorporation. Any unincorporated church wishing to incorporate as an Assemblies of God church under this article shall first apply to the presbytery of the New York district of the Assemblies of God for written approval. Upon receipt of such approval, the ap…

§ 423. Qualification of voters. 1. The following persons and no others shall be qualified voters for all purposes under this article, except as set forth in subdivision two of this section. All persons sixteen years of age or over who are members in good and regular standing of …

§ 424. Notice of meeting for incorporation. Notice of a meeting for the purpose of incorporating an unincorporated church shall be given as follows: 1. The notice shall be in writing and shall state, in substance, that a meeting of such unincorporated church will be held at its …

§ 425. Meeting for incorporation. 1. At the meeting for incorporation held in pursuance of such notice, only qualified voters shall be eligible to vote. 2. The presence of a majority of such qualified voters, at least six in number, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum of s…

§ 426. Certificate of incorporation. 1. If at the meeting for incorporation it shall be decided that such unincorporated church shall become incorporated, the presiding officer of such meeting and the two inspectors of election shall execute and acknowledge a certificate of inco…

§ 427. Reincorporation of present incorporated churches. Any church heretofore incorporated may, subject to restrictions and limitations of existing laws, reincorporate under the provisions of this article, by filing in the county clerk's office in the county in which its princi…

§ 428. Time; place and notice of corporate meetings. 1. The annual corporate meeting of every incorporated church or body to which this article is applicable shall be held at the time and place fixed by its by-laws. 2. Notice of the time and place of the annual corporate meeting…

§ 429. Corporate meetings. 1. Each church shall determine the requirements for a quorum in their by-laws. 2. The action of the meeting upon any matter or question shall be decided in a manner provided by the by-laws. 3. The first named of the following persons who are present at…

§ 43. Annual election and special meetings of incorporated Protestant Episcopal parishes. 1. The annual election of a Protestant Episcopal parish, hereafter incorporated, shall be held on the day, either a Sunday or a secular day, designated in its certificate of incorporation. …

§ 430. Ownership of property. 1. The trustees of every such incorporated or reincorporated church shall have the custody and control of all the temporalities and property, real and personal, belonging to the corporation and the revenues therefrom, and shall administer the same s…

§ 431. Property of extinct Assemblies of God churches. 1. All property, both real and personal, belonging to or held in trust for any Assemblies of God church, incorporated or reincorporated or supervisory under this article, that has or shall become extinct, shall at the option…

§ 432. Church council and church management. Any incorporated church or body to which this article applies shall have its affairs managed by a church council. Such council shall consist of the pastor, the trustees of the corporation as well as any others, such as corporate secre…

§ 433. Right of self government. Each church shall have the right of self government under Jesus Christ, its living head, and shall have the power to choose, call or dismiss its minister, establish the minister's salary, elect its trustees and other officials, and transact all o…

§ 434. Right of affiliation; relationships between churches, district corporations and the general council of the Assemblies of God. Churches shall be deemed to be sovereign, autonomous, self governing and self determining bodies. The affiliation of each church with the general …

§ 435. District corporation. 1. The present corporation acting within the territorial limits of New York, the New York district of the Assemblies of God, may reorganize by the formation of a new corporation which may have as many trustees as there are regional sections within th…

§ 436. District government. 1. (a) There shall be a district council for the election of trustees, officers and for the general government as hereinafter set forth. The district council shall be the parent body and shall control the rights, duties and prerogatives of all its off…

§ 437. District superintendent. The district superintendent shall by virtue of his office be designated the president and presiding officer of the district corporation. He shall exercise such powers as are granted him by the constitution and by-laws.

§ 44. Changing the number of vestrymen of Protestant Episcopal parishes hereafter incorporated. If the vestry of a Protestant Episcopal parish, hereafter incorporated, shall, by resolution, recommend that the number of vestrymen of such parish be changed to either three, six, ni…

§ 45. Changing date of annual election, number and terms of office of vestrymen and terms of office of churchwardens in Protestant Episcopal churches heretofore incorporated. If the vestry of a Protestant Episcopal parish, heretofore incorporated, shall by resolution, recommend …

§ 450. Application. 1. This article applies to any unincorporated church, church school, seminary or other organization affiliated with the Coptic Orthodox Church and to any heretofore incorporated church or body, so affiliated, which desires to reincorporate pursuant to this ar…

§ 451. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 1. "Coptic Orthodox Church" refers to the Apostolic Church presided over by His Holiness, the Pope of Alexandria (Egypt) and the Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, the legislative …

§ 452. Incorporation of Coptic Orthodox Churches. An unincorporated Coptic Orthodox Church in this state may become incorporated as a church by executing, acknowledging and filing a certificate of incorporation, stating the corporate name by which such church shall be known and …

§ 453. Reincorporation of existing corporations. Any Coptic Orthodox Church heretofore incorporated in this state, with the consent of the bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese in which its place of worship is located, may reincorporate under the provisions of this article by fi…

§ 454. Government of Incorporated Coptic Orthodox Churches. The bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese in which the place of worship of an incorporated Coptic Orthodox Church is located and his successors in office shall, by virtue of his office, be a trustee of such a church. Tw…

§ 455. Disposition of property. Whenever a Coptic Orthodox parish shall hereafter be duly divided by the Coptic Orthodox bishop of the diocese in which said parish is located into two parishes within such diocese, then the Coptic Orthodox bishop or his successor shall have the r…

§ 46. Changing the qualifications of voters and the qualifications of wardens and vestrymen. If the vestry of a Protestant Episcopal parish heretofore incorporated shall by resolution recommend that the qualifications of voters and the qualifications of wardens and vestrymen be …

§ 460. Application. 1. This article applies to any unincorporated church affiliated with the Hindu faith, and to any heretofore incorporated church or body, so affiliated, which desires to reincorporate pursuant to this article. Independent churches may incorporate or reincorpor…