§ 454. Government of Incorporated Coptic Orthodox Churches. The bishop
of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese in which the place of worship of an
incorporated Coptic Orthodox Church is located and his successors in
office shall, by virtue of his office, be a trustee of such a church.
Two or more persons selected by the bishop from among the priests and
deacons of such a church in the manner provided from time to time by
rules and regulations of the Coptic Orthodox Church adopted by the
Synodical Committee for the Coptic Churches in Immigration shall also be
trustees of such incorporated church, and the bishop and other such
persons shall together constitute the board of trustees thereof. The
bishop and other persons signing the certificate of incorporation shall
be the trustees of such a church for the first year or until their
successors are selected according to the rules, statutes, regulations
and usages of the Coptic Orthodox Church adopted by the Synodical
Committee for the Coptic Churches in Immigration. The trustees of every
Coptic Orthodox Church shall have the custody and control of all
temporalities and property, real and personal, belonging to such a
church and of the revenues therefrom and shall administer the same in
accordance with the rules, statutes, regulations and usages of the
Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria adopted by Synodical Committee for
the Coptic Churches in Immigration, provided, however, that no act or
proceeding of the trustees of any such incorporated church shall be
valid without the approval of the bishop of said diocese in which the
place of worship of such a church is located, or in case of his absence
or inability to act, without the approval of the vicar of such diocese.