§ 17. Property of extinct Free Baptist churches. The property both
real and personal, belonging to or held in trust for any Free Baptist
church, or Free Baptist religious society organized under the laws of
the state of New York, that has become, or shall become extinct, shall
vest in and become the property of the Central association existing
under the laws of the state of New York, and its successors and assigns;
provided that this section shall not affect the reversionary interests
of any person in such property, nor the interests of any incorporated
association; and any Free Baptist church or Free Baptist religious
society becoming extinct or about to disband or disorganize may, by a
vote of two-thirds of its members present and voting therefor at a
meeting regularly called for that purpose assign, transfer, grant and
convey all its temporalities to and place the same in the possession of
the Central association existing under the laws of the state of New
York.

A Free Baptist church or Free Baptist religious society which has
failed for two consecutive years next prior thereto to maintain
religious services according to the custom and usages of Free Baptist
churches, or has less than thirteen resident attending members, paying
annual pew rental or making annual contributions towards its support,
may be declared extinct in the following manner, viz.: Upon such notice
as the court may prescribe, and upon application made by petition,
stating fully the facts in the case, and on evidence being furnished
that the said Free Baptist church or Free Baptist religious society has
ceased to hold religious services in and use said property for religious
worship or service for a term of two years previous to such application,
the supreme court, at a term thereof held in the judicial district where
such property is situated, may grant an order declaring such church or
society extinct, and thereon direct that all its temporalities shall be
transferred to, and thereupon shall be taken possession of by the
Central association of the state of New York, or directing that the same
be sold in the manner directed by said order, and that the proceeds
thereof, after the payment of the debts of such church or society, be
paid over to the Central association of the state of New York. All
property and proceeds from the sale of property so transferred to said
association shall be used and applied for the purposes for which said
Central association of the state of New York was organized and shall not
be directed to any other purpose.

The First Free Will Baptist church of the city of New York, located in
the borough of Manhattan, shall in no way be amenable to the provisions
of this section.