Faces of the Valley: Tarentum pastor marks 50 years in ministry, counts puppets, baseball as passions

Pastor, puppeteer and avid Red Sox fan.

That’s how the Rev. Bob Dayton describes himself.

Parishioners at Central Presbyterian Church in Tarentum, however, go further in their descriptions: supportive, worldly and well-rounded.

“I have nothing but good things to say about him,” Barb Diller said. “When he first came to our church, I was surprised that in his first week, he visited my (now-late) mother in a nursing home in Harmarville.

“He told me he had a nice conversation with her. And that was very surprising that he made that effort for someone he didn’t know.”

Dayton of Buffalo Township is preparing to mark his 50th year of ministry Oct. 26 with a celebration at the church. It coincides with the church’s annual Gymanfa Ganu program, a Welsh hymn sing where Dayton will perform with some of his 1,000-plus puppets while Welsh folktales are read. He is president of the St. David’s Society of Pittsburgh, which promotes Welsh and Celtic culture.

“I’ve been happy as a minister,” Dayton said from his office in the church along Allegheny Street. “I’m just where I’m meant to be.”

A New Jersey native, Dayton, 81, graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1970.

His life pivoted slightly when he worked for the U.S. Labor Department for three years, but “churches weren’t interested in young ministers.”

“It was a turbulent time in history,” he said.

Dayton circled back to ministry, serving six congregations across Western Pennsylvania, most recently at Mahoning Presbyterian Church in Lawrence County. He also served a two-year stint at an English language church in Hong Kong.

After retiring in 2012, Dayton agreed to part-time ministry at Central Presbyterian the following year. His leadership focuses on Bible-based preaching and a sense of belonging within the church and the larger community.

Diller called Dayton “a great addition” to the church and said, “we are so blessed to have him.”

Dayton incorporates puppetry into aspects of worship and community social gatherings. He also has acted for years in the Prospect Cemetery Ghost Tour in nearby Brackenridge.

This year, he portrayed a late Tarentum hardware store owner named Mr. Baker who fought in the Battle of Fredericksburg during the Civil War.

“He is a great man and a good friend,” said Tarentum historian Cindy Homburg, who organizes the annual ghost tour.

She enjoys talking with Dayton about his world travels, calling him an accomplished person who can chat about any topic.

“He loves baseball, and we have many talks about sports,” Homburg said.

Despite a number of parishioners that hovers at about 60, Central Presbyterian has great reach with its service programs. It hosts a free lunch, $1 breakfast, clothes closet and food bank.

The church also partners with the Academy Chamber Ensemble for a concert series with the goal of bringing world-class music to the community.

“There is a need for all kinds of ministry here,” Dayton said. “We have a lot of volunteers from the area, and we are trying to be as faithful to Christ as we can be.”