N.Y. Religious Corporations Law Section 161
The meeting for incorporation

At the meeting for incorporation, held in pursuance of such notice, the qualified voters, until otherwise decided as hereinafter provided, shall be all persons of full age who have statedly worshiped with such church and have regularly contributed to its support, according to its usages, for at least one year or since it was formed. At such meeting the presence of a majority of such qualified voters, in person, or by proxy duly authorized in writing, at least six in number, shall be necessary to constitute a quorum, and all matters or questions shall be decided by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon. The meeting shall be called to order by one of the signers of the call. There shall be elected at such meeting, from the qualified voters then present, a presiding officer, a clerk to keep the record of the proceedings of the meeting and two inspectors of election to receive the ballots cast. The presiding officer and the inspectors shall decide the result of the ballots cast on any matter, and shall be the judges of the qualifications of the voters. If the meeting shall decide that such unincorporated church shall become incorporated, the meeting shall also decide upon the name of the proposed corporation, the number of the trustees thereof, which shall be three, six or nine, and the date, not more than fifteen months thereafter, on which the first annual election of the trustees thereof shall be held; and it may, by a two-thirds vote, decide that all members of the unincorporated church, of full age, in good and regular standing who have statedly worshiped with such church but who have not contributed to the financial support thereof, shall also be qualified voters at such meeting, and that such church members, who, for one year next preceding any subsequent corporate meeting, shall have statedly worshiped with such church and have been members thereof in good and regular standing, but have not regularly contributed to the financial support thereof, shall be qualified voters at such corporate meetings. Such meetings shall thereupon elect by ballot from the persons qualified to vote thereat one-third of the number of trustees so decided on, who shall hold office until the first annual election of trustees thereafter, one-third of such number of trustees who shall hold office until the second annual election of trustees thereafter, and one-third of such number of trustees who shall hold office until the third annual election of trustees thereafter, or until the respective successors of such trustees shall be elected. Such meeting shall also elect by ballot a clerk of the corporation, who shall hold his office until the close of the next annual meeting.

Source: Section 161 — The meeting for incorporation, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/RCO/161 (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed Jul. 26, 2025).

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Jul. 26, 2025

Last modified:
Sep. 22, 2014

§ 161. The meeting for incorporation's source at nysenate​.gov

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