Building the Valley: The Church at Tarentum is putting down roots in the borough

Sometimes, being a minister doesn’t mean preaching from the pulpit.

“On Tuesdays, at our church, it means giving food away,” said John Ganze, an Oklahoma native who leads The Church at Tarentum on East Eighth Avenue.

“Other days, it means fixing the church up or throwing new mulch down.”

Ganze took over the church three years ago and is working to build a solid congregation — which is not an easy task.

Church membership has seen a steady decline over the past few decades, with the number of U.S. adults who belong to a church sliding from 69% to 52% since 2000, according to gallup.com.

Ganze, however, is not deterred.

The 27-year-old grew up in a pastor’s home and said he is filled with purpose.

“I feel there’s more to do than serve myself,” he said.

Ganze graduated from the Free Gospel Bible Institute in Export, where he now teaches conservative Pentecostal studies.

The Church at Tarentum was a perfect fit for his community outreach desires.

The stone building, former home of Wesleyan Methodist Church, was built in 1933. The original pastor, Cecil Clifton, lived with his family in the church basement for two decades and started the WAVL religious radio station that was broadcast through the Alle-Kiski Valley.

It remained active until recent years.

Despite sitting vacant, the “nuts and bolts” were all still there, Ganze said.

Wooden pews fill the sanctuary which is decorated in a classic style with white walls, a pitched roof and cream chandeliers. The building is wheelchair accessible, and there are plenty of small rooms for Bible study, social events or meetings.

“We restored the wooden floors and repainted,” Ganze said. “It has that old-school crackily feeling when you walk on it. It’s classic.”

Ganze said he learned about the empty church through peers at the Bible Institute.

“They had a relationship with the owner, who was looking to turn the building into apartments,” Ganze said. “When I found out, I said, ‘Whoa. Let’s see if we can reach people with our Word.’ ”

Services are 6 p.m. Sundays in-person and also are livestreamed on the church’s Facebook page, which has more than 800 followers. Everyone is welcome, Ganze said.

Building a robust church has been “low and slow,” Ganze said, but he is hopeful people are finding the space to be a welcome addition to the community.

Efforts aren’t contained to Scripture readings. On Tuesdays from spring until fall, the church hosts a free food distribution with pastries, eggs, bread and other necessities.

There are no income guidelines.

In April, the church hosted a youth-themed Galaxy Adventure where it was transformed with rockets, planets and the night sky.

Mascots Speedy and Sally were brought to life by Bible Institute students, while others performed skits, ran games and gave away nachos and snowcones.

The event was free for children of all ages.

Resident Janet Montoy said it’s nice to have a space where the door is open for all walks of life.

“They’re nice people and a nice addition to town,” Montoy said.

She’s been to a variety of events there through the years and said it’s a relief for people to know they can count on them for help.

“A lot of people around here don’t drive, so the food distribution really helps,” she said.

The church roster includes regulars who have made it their home congregation, Ganze said, but he is hoping to continue growing the numbers.

“It’s tough to build a church from scratch,” he said. “In every church, the founding pastor had a tougher road than those in charge today, but we believe the Gospel is for everyone and it can change their lives.”