2006 New York Code - Corporation, How Formed.

 
    § 180. Corporation, how formed. Any seven or more persons of full age,
  citizens of the United States, and a majority of them being residents of
  this  state,  who shall associate themselves for the purpose of founding
  and  continuing  one  or  more  free  churches,  may  make,   sign   and
  acknowledge, before any officer authorized to take the acknowledgment of
  deeds  of  land to be recorded in this state, and may file in the office
  of the secretary of state, and also of the clerk of the county in  which
  any  such church is to be established, and record as provided in section
  three of this chapter, a certificate  in  writing,  in  which  shall  be
  stated  the  name  or  title by which such society shall be known in the
  law, the purpose of its organization, and the names of  seven  trustees,
  of whom not less than five shall be persons who are not ministers of the
  gospel  or  priests  of  any  denomination, to manage the same; but such
  certificate shall not be filed, unless  with  the  written  consent  and
  approbation  of  a justice of the supreme court of the district in which
  any such church shall be intended to be established, to be  indorsed  on
  such certificate.