Any ecclesiastical body, or diocesan, or like ecclesiastical officer, may elect, or nominate, or appoint, according to the usages, customs, rules, regulations, articles of association, constitution, by-laws or canons of such ecclesiastical body, diocesan or like ecclesiastical officer, or any sect or denomination, 2 or more members of such sect, or denomination, residing respectively in any ecclesiastical districts, or dioceses, over which such ecclesiastical body, or diocesan, or like ecclesiastical officer shall have jurisdiction, as trustees, who may become incorporated under Sections 46a to 46k, inclusive, of this Act, and may take, hold, regulate, control and dispose of any real, personal or mixed property in and outside of this State, devoted to eleemosynary, educational, cemetery or religious purposes (not exclusively belonging to, or used by, any particular congregation, church or society which as an organization, incorporated or unincorporated, is in the opinion of its trustees, wardens, vestrymen or other officers whose powers and duties are similar to trustees financially able to own and maintain such property) for the use of all of the members of the sect, or denomination within said districts, or dioceses, or for the use and benefit of such ecclesiastical body, diocesan, or like ecclesiastical officer, or of any parishes, congregations, societies, churches, missions, benevolent, charitable or educational institutions existing under or related to the same, according to Sections 46a to 46k, inclusive, of this Act, according to the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act, or according to the usages, customs, rules, regulations, articles of association, constitution, by-laws or canons of such ecclesiastical body, diocesan, or like ecclesiastical officer. The presiding officer or authorized representative of such ecclesiastical body or diocesan, or like ecclesiastical officer, shall, by virtue of his office, be a trustee of any such corporation and the number, term of office and qualifications of said trustees, their removal and succession and their powers, duties and manner of appointment, shall be regulated in the manner provided in Sections 46a to 46k, inclusive, of this Act. An affidavit showing the appointment of such trustees made and executed by the presiding officer, or duly authorized representative of such ecclesiastical body, or diocesan, or like ecclesiastical officer, or such other person as may be designated by said trustees for such purpose, in substantially the same manner and form as provided in Section 46b of this Act shall be filed in the office of the recorder in the county in which the principal office or place of worship of such corporation is intended to be situated and also a duplicate copy in the office of the Secretary of State, whenever any district or diocese, under the jurisdiction or patronage of such ecclesiastical body, or diocesan, or like ecclesiastical officer, comprises more than any one county of this State or extends outside of the State.
     It shall be the duty of the recorder and the Secretary of State to record such affidavits and said affidavits or copies thereof, duly certified by the recorder and Secretary of State, shall be received as evidence of the due incorporation of the organization. No affidavit of appointment after the first need be filed for record.