2013 New York Consolidated Laws
RCO - Religious Corporations
Article 17 - (320 - 335) METHODIST CHURCHES
321 - Change of name of churches and affiliated and subsidiary organizations.

 
    §  321.  Change  of  name  of  churches  and affiliated and subsidiary
  organizations. 1. Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter  or  of
  any  general,  special  or  local  law, the three denominations formerly
  known as the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Protestant Church
  and the Methodist Episcopal Church South having united  into  one  under
  the name of The Methodist Church, all religious corporations or churches
  heretofore  authorized  to  use,  or  be  known  by the names "Methodist
  Episcopal  Church,"  "Methodist  Protestant   Church,"   or   "Methodist
  Episcopal   Church   South"  and  all  societies,  conferences,  boards,
  associations, corporations or  other  organizations  directly  connected
  therewith  or  subsidiary  thereto shall eliminate from their respective
  names the word or words "Episcopal," "Protestant"  or  "South,"  as  the
  case may be, and all such churches, corporations and other organizations
  shall  hereafter  be  known by such names as changed and amended by this
  section.
    2. The changes in names provided for by this section shall not in  any
  respect  change the identity of or affect, abate, defeat, alter or annul
  any of the rights, privileges,  powers,  property  rights,  obligations,
  liabilities or duties of any of said churches or corporations aforesaid,
  all  of  which  shall  remain  in  full force and effect as though their
  respective names had not been so changed.
    3. All churches or other  corporations  using  the  changed  names  as
  provided  in this section shall continue to have and be possessed of all
  of the interest, property and rights to which they  are  or  may  become
  entitled under their former corporate names.
    4.  The  provisions  of this section shall be deemed continuous of the
  provisions of chapter three hundred twenty-seven of the laws of nineteen
  hundred forty, and laws amendatory thereof, and shall  be  construed  to
  have  been  in  existence since April tenth, nineteen hundred forty, the
  time of the enactment of such chapter.