Tony Crouch became Lay Minister at Elk City UMC in June 2026. His role is an important one…he will be teaching at little, preaching a little, but he will primarily focus on pastoral care – keeping in touch with members of all five Western OK HUB congregations, praying with and for them, and being a connection for them. “I’m enjoying the interaction with the people,” he said. “All five churches have great people with interesting and varied stories to tell.” Tony believes the Gospel message is important and thinks all too often Christians accept the idea of Jesus, call themselves Christian, but don’t take full advantage of the hope, joy, and peace that comes from an intimate relationship with Him. “After all,” he said, “eternal life begins now by knowing God and the one whom He sent.” Outside of church, Tony enjoys time with his wife, Christy, and accompanying her on her adventures to see new things. He also enjoys time with his family. Hobby-wise, he likes to work on the house with little projects that make their activities easier, as well as woodworking projects and building model cars. “But I really like to study scripture, whether in a formal Bible study or just topical studies,” he said. The first mission Tony loves to support is the mission of his local church. He’s also supported Feed the Children for over 30 years, and he and Christy support a mission group that works internationally called World Mission Alliance. He’s looking forward to mission trips through them in the future. His favorite verse in the Bible is John 17:3 and his prayer is for everyone to have a deep, personal, intimate relationship with God through Jesus and feel the presence of the Holy Spirit continually. “It is a peace that passes all understanding!”
