N.Y. Religious Corporations Law Section 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 be made public for at least two weeks prior to such meeting, either by open reading of such notice in time of divine service, at the usual place of worship of such parish or congregation, or by posting the same conspiciously on the outer door of such place of worship. Only persons of full age who have been regular attendants at the worship of such parish or congregation and contributors to the support thereof for one year next prior to such meeting, or since the establishment of such parish or congregation, shall be qualified to vote at such meeting. The presence of at least six persons qualified to vote thereat shall be necessary to constitute a quorum of such meeting. The action of the meeting upon any matter or question shall be decided by a majority of the qualified voters voting thereon, a quorum being present. The officiating minister, or if there be none, or he shall be necessarily absent, any other person qualified to vote at the meeting, who is called to the chair, shall preside thereat. Such presiding officer shall receive the votes, be the judge of the qualifications of voters, and declare the result of the votes cast at such meeting. The polls of the meeting shall remain open for one hour or longer, in the discretion of the presiding officer, or if required by a vote of the majority of the voters present. The meeting shall decide whether such unincorporated parish or congregation shall become incorporated. If such decision be in favor of incorporation, such meeting shall decide upon the name of the proposed corporation; what day, either a Sunday or a secular day, shall be the date of the regular annual election; whether the vestrymen thereof shall be three, six, nine, twelve, fifteen, eighteen, twenty-one or twenty-four; and shall elect by ballot from the persons qualified to be voters thereat, who have been baptized, one-third of the number of vestrymen so decided upon to hold office until the first annual election to be held thereafter, one-third of such number, to hold office until one year after such annual election, and one-third of such number to hold office until two years after such annual election; and shall elect from such qualified voters who are communicants in the Protestant Episcopal church, two persons to be churchwardens thereof, one to hold office until such annual election, and one to hold office until one year after such annual election.

Source: Section 40 — Meeting for incorporation, https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/RCO/40 (updated Sep. 22, 2014; accessed Jul. 12, 2025).

40
Meeting for incorporation 41
Certificate of incorporation 42
Corporate trustees, vestry 42–A
Additional powers of the corporate trustees and vestry 43
Annual election and special meetings of incorporated Protestant Episcopal parishes 44
Changing the number of vestrymen of Protestant Episcopal parishes hereafter incorporated 45
Changing date of annual election, number and terms of office of vestrymen and terms of office of churchwardens in Protestant Episcopal ch... 46
Changing the qualifications of voters and the qualifications of wardens and vestrymen 47
Free churches in communion with the Protestant Episcopal church 48
Legacies 49
Eligibility of certain minors as lay delegates and to vote and hold office

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N.Y. Religious Corporations Law Section 40 Meeting for incorporation

N.Y. Religious Corporations Law Section 40
Meeting for incorporation