An ASA of 600 would be relatively healthy for a liberal Protestant congregation in Manhattan.
The story is probably much the same throughout the liberal congregations there: low ASA but huge endowments the clergy will still be burning through to finance their pet causes even after the last congregant dies or quits.
Nice work if you can get it: piles of money to spend on pet projects with little accountability to anyone, short hours and no heavy lifting.
Very true.
I think the opposite. The congregants there have the same problems as everyone else, but the clergy has nothing substantial to offer them hope other than empty platitudes. The "lifting" must be oppressive.
Paul was sustained in his faith. These folks must have trouble sleeping at night.