N.Y. Religious Corporations Law § 291

§ 291. Application for incorporation. An unincorporated congregation,\nchurch, parish or society may apply to the appropriate hierarch, bishop\nor administrator for permission to incorporate under this article.\n When such permission or sanction for incorporation has been given, in\nwriting, over the seal and signature of the appropriate hierarch, bishop\nor administrator and has been certified by the secretariat of the\nFederated Orthodox Greek Catholic Primary Jurisdictions in America, it\nshall be attached to a certificate of incorporation; and said\ncertificate shall be executed, acknowledged and filed, as hereinafter\nprovided, and thereupon such congregation, parish, church, society or\ncommittee shall become a corporation under this article.\n