The Short Title of this Act is The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand Act 1901.

For the purpose of carrying out and giving effect to the various powers, trusts, and provisions relating to the property now or which may hereafter be vested in or held by or on behalf of the Otago Presbyterian Church Board of Property, or the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland, exercisable under any Act or Ordinances by the said Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland, such Synod shall continue on the same basis as it existed prior to the said union, and in regard to the management or administration of such property shall, notwithstanding such union, continue to have all the powers, rights, and privileges now or hereafter possessed by or vested in such Synod under any Act, Ordinances, regulation, or otherwise, with supreme authority in such matters.

Neither the said union nor anything contained in this Act shall in any wise affect the property referred to in the last preceding section, or the trusts affecting the same, and such property shall continue to be held exclusively for the purposes and by or on behalf of the persons respectively now or for the time being entitled thereto in the Provincial District of Otago, and all the rents and income from such property, or any proceeds therefrom, shall be held or applied for the purposes and by or on behalf of such parties respectively, in accordance with the trusts or provisions for the time being affecting the same respectively; and for the purposes aforesaid, the persons, bodies of persons corporate or otherwise, and Church Courts for the time being in the Provincial District of Otago, and forming part of or connected with the said united Church, shall have, enjoy, and exercise the same rights, interests, and powers, and be subject to the same duties and responsibilities, in relation to the said property and the income thereof, as the persons, bodies of persons, Church Courts constituting or connected with the said Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland, respectively had enjoyed, exercised, and were subject to before the said union; and in the construction of the statutory provisions relating to the qualification and appointment of new Trustees the name of the said united Church, that is to say, the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, shall be substituted for that of the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland.

Neither the said union nor anything contained in this Act shall be deemed to affect the law or the trusts relating to property belonging for the time being to congregations connected with either of the said uniting Churches; but where, in any deed declaring the trusts similar to those contained in a trust deed affecting a property belonging to any congregation connected with either of the said uniting Churches, reference is made to such Church, such reference after the said union shall be read as meaning the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, united as aforesaid.

On and after the said union taking effect, the words “General Assembly”, or any similar expression in The Presbyterian Church Property Act 1885, shall mean the said General Assembly of the said united Church.