New York § 295 - 295Government: powers and duties of trustees

§ 295. 295Government: powers and duties of trustees

§ 295. Government: powers and duties of trustees. 1. Every church, parish, congregation, society, or committee incorporated or re-incorporated, pursuant to this article, shall recognize and be and remain subject to the jurisdiction and authority of the duly appointed and canonical hierarch, bishop or other administrator, certified through the secretariat of the Federated Orthodox Greek Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in America, as appropriate for its members, or his successor in office whose authority is likewise certified; shall accept, secure or receive the sacramental, pastoral, or ministerial services of such clergy only as are so certified to be of lawful and canonical status or authority in the Orthodox Greek Catholic (Eastern Orthodox) Church; and shall retain or secure as pastors only such clergy as have, in addition, the permission of the hierarch, bishop or administrator certified to be appropriate; and shall in all other respects conform to, maintain, and follow the faith, doctrine, ritual, communion, discipline, canon law, traditions and usages of the Orthodox Greek Catholic (Eastern Orthodox) Church. 2. Any action of the trustees or parish committees regarding the calling, appointment, removal or compensation of parish clergy shall be subject to approval, in writing, by the appropriate bishop or administrator exercising jurisdiction. 3. The trustees of every such incorporated or re-incorporated church, society or committee shall have the custody and control of all the temporalities and property, real and personal, belonging to the corporation, and of all the revenues therefrom; and shall administer the same strictly in accordance with the by-laws of the corporation and the rules, regulations and usages of the orthodox jurisdiction or ecclesiastical governing body to which such church, society or committee is subject. 4. The number of first trustees shall be a multiple of three; one-third of such first trustees to hold office for three years; one-third thereof to hold office for two years; and one-third thereof to hold office for one year from the first election following the incorporation; and thereafter at each annual election there shall be elected for a term of three years one-third of the number of trustees.