§ 47. Free churches in communion with the Protestant Episcopal church.\nWhenever the trustees of any free church in communion with the\nProtestant Episcopal church heretofore or hereafter organized under the\nprovisions of article nine of this act shall desire to change the\nmanagement of its affairs and the form of government of the corporation\nby substituting a vestry in place of such trustees, such change may be\nmade in the following manner: The trustees of any free church having\nfirst obtained the written consent of the ecclesiastical authority of\nthe diocese to such change may by an affirmative vote of not less than\ntwo-thirds determine by resolution reciting the consent of such\necclesiastical authority and duly recorded in the minutes of such church\nto change the management
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§ 47. Free churches in communion with the Protestant Episcopal church.\nWhenever the trustees of any free church in communion with the\nProtestant Episcopal church heretofore or hereafter organized under the\nprovisions of article nine of this act shall desire to change the\nmanagement of its affairs and the form of government of the corporation\nby substituting a vestry in place of such trustees, such change may be\nmade in the following manner: The trustees of any free church having\nfirst obtained the written consent of the ecclesiastical authority of\nthe diocese to such change may by an affirmative vote of not less than\ntwo-thirds determine by resolution reciting the consent of such\necclesiastical authority and duly recorded in the minutes of such church\nto change the management of its affairs by substituting a vestry in\nplace of such trustees to manage the affairs of such corporation and\nfree church with the same powers, duties and privileges as are now\npossessed and exercised by churchwardens and vestrymen in churches of\nthe Protestant Episcopal church organized under this article, but\nsubject to the provisions of section one hundred and eighty-three of\nthis chapter and for the purposes set forth in the certificate of\nincorporation of such free church and for no other purposes; such\nresolution shall fix the day, either a Sunday or a secular day, upon\nwhich the annual election shall be held, the number to constitute such\nvestry which shall be two churchwardens and either three, six, nine,\ntwelve, fifteen, eighteen, twenty-one or twenty-four vestrymen as may be\ndetermined, and shall also designate the persons to be such\nchurchwardens, and vestrymen, to act until the annual election, and\ncopies of such resolution, together with a statement of the vote of the\ntrustees adopting the same certified under the seal of the corporation\nand verified by the president and secretary thereof, shall be filed in\nthe office of the secretary of state and also in the office of the clerk\nof the county in which such church or corporation is located. Upon and\nafter the filing of such certificate, the churchwardens and vestrymen\nnamed in said resolution and their successors in office, together with\nthe rector when there shall thereafter be one, shall form the vestry and\nshall be the vestry and shall constitute the corporation; and at the\nfirst annual election the churchwardens and vestrymen shall be divided\ninto classes and their respective terms of office fixed and shall be\nelected by the persons qualified to vote for the churchwardens and\nvestrymen in churches or congregations of the Protestant Episcopal\nchurch and the provisions of this article shall govern such election and\nall future elections and all acts of such vestry, subject to the\nprovisions of section one hundred and eighty-three of this chapter.\n