§ 54-a. Rector; vicar; ministers; their appointment, removal and
compensation. The rector or vicar or other ministers of any such church,
by whatever title they are called in ecclesiastical language, shall be
called, settled or removed and their salaries fixed, only by the vote of
a majority of the members of such corporation duly qualified to vote at
elections present and voting at a meeting of such corporation
specifically called for that purpose, subject to the consent of the
ecclesiastical administrator of Patriarchal Synod, given in writing. A
rector or vicar or other minister so called, with the sanction of the
archbishop in writing, shall be deemed settled definitely in such
church, when he has accepted such call in writing. Unless there is
sufficient cause to terminate the relationship of such clergyman and
such church such relationship shall be deemed permanent and governed
entirely by the rules and usages of the American Patriarchal Orthodox
Church, subject to the patriarch.