§ 454 — Government of Incorporated Coptic Orthodox Churches

§ 454. Government of Incorporated Coptic Orthodox Churches. The bishop\nof the Coptic Orthodox Diocese in which the place of worship of an\nincorporated Coptic Orthodox Church is located and his successors in\noffice shall, by virtue of his office, be a trustee of such a church.\nTwo or more persons selected by the bishop from among the priests and\ndeacons of such a church in the manner provided from time to time by\nrules and regulations of the Coptic Orthodox Church adopted by the\nSynodical Committee for the Coptic Churches in Immigration shall also be\ntrustees of such incorporated church, and the bishop and other such\npersons shall together constitute the board of trustees thereof. The\nbishop and other persons signing the certificate of incorporation shall\nbe the trustees of such a church for the first year or until their\nsuccessors are selected according to the rules, statutes, regulations\nand usages of the Coptic Orthodox Church adopted by the Synodical\nCommittee for the Coptic Churches in Immigration. The trustees of every\nCoptic Orthodox Church shall have the custody and control of all\ntemporalities and property, real and personal, belonging to such a\nchurch and of the revenues therefrom and shall administer the same in\naccordance with the rules, statutes, regulations and usages of the\nCoptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria adopted by Synodical Committee for\nthe Coptic Churches in Immigration, provided, however, that no act or\nproceeding of the trustees of any such incorporated church shall be\nvalid without the approval of the bishop of said diocese in which the\nplace of worship of such a church is located, or in case of his absence\nor inability to act, without the approval of the vicar of such diocese.\n