N.Y. RCO Law § 321

§ 321. Change of name of churches and affiliated and subsidiary\norganizations. 1. Notwithstanding any provisions of this chapter or of\nany general, special or local law, the three denominations formerly\nknown as the Methodist Episcopal Church, the Methodist Protestant Church\nand the Methodist Episcopal Church South having united into one under\nthe name of The Methodist Church, all religious corporations or churches\nheretofore authorized to use, or be known by the names "Methodist\nEpiscopal Church," "Methodist Protestant Church," or "Methodist\nEpiscopal Church South" and all societies, conferences, boards,\nassociations, corporations or other organizations directly connected\ntherewith or subsidiary thereto shall eliminate from their respective\nnames the word or words "Episcopal," "Protestant" or "South," as the\ncase may be, and all such churches, corporations and other organizations\nshall hereafter be known by such names as changed and amended by this\nsection.\n 2. The changes in names provided for by this section shall not in any\nrespect change the identity of or affect, abate, defeat, alter or annul\nany of the rights, privileges, powers, property rights, obligations,\nliabilities or duties of any of said churches or corporations aforesaid,\nall of which shall remain in full force and effect as though their\nrespective names had not been so changed.\n 3. All churches or other corporations using the changed names as\nprovided in this section shall continue to have and be possessed of all\nof the interest, property and rights to which they are or may become\nentitled under their former corporate names.\n 4. The provisions of this section shall be deemed continuous of the\nprovisions of chapter three hundred twenty-seven of the laws of nineteen\nhundred forty, and laws amendatory thereof, and shall be construed to\nhave been in existence since April tenth, nineteen hundred forty, the\ntime of the enactment of such chapter.\n