§ 279. Incorporation of advisory board of a district of the Church of the Nazarene. 1. The district superintendent and the members of the advisory board duly elected by a district assembly of the Church of the Nazarene may incorporate for the purpose of advancing the development of the Churches of Nazarene in such district.

2. The certificate of incorporation shall state the object of the corporation, the name of such district assembly and of such district, the names and residences of the signers thereof, the number of trustees which shall be not less than three or more than five, designating them to hold office for one year. On executing, acknowledging and filing such certificate the advisory board of such district shall be a corporation and the trustees therein stated shall be the first trustees thereof.

3. Such corporation may acquire property for churches, parsonages, missions, Sunday schools, denominational educational institutions (subject to the consent of the university of New York), residences of church workers, dispensaries of medicine for the poor, rescue homes, homes for the aged or for needy and orphan children, subject to the consent of the state board of social welfare, and property for cemeteries, camp grounds or for other religious purposes. Such a corporation shall have power to establish, maintain and manage by its trustees or other officers such institutions as a part of its religious purpose, and may take and hold by conveyance, donation, bequest or devise real and personal property for such purposes, and may purchase and may erect suitable buildings therefor. Any such corporation may take and hold any grant, donation, bequest or devise of real or personal property heretofore or hereafter made upon trust, and apply the same, or the income thereof, under the direction of its trustees or other officers. Such trustees or other officers shall have power to mortgage or sell and convey any property under the care, when directed so to do by the corporation that elected them, having first obtained leave of the supreme or county court therefor pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; provided that in all cases the proceeds of such sale or mortgage shall be used either for the payment of debts or for the purchase or improvement of property for the same uses and deeded to the same corporation; or if not used, shall be held subject to the order of the annual assembly of the district.