§ 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.