Elgin Pastor Larry Thoma Celebrates 35 Years at First Assembly of God, Plus 28 as Mayor

In August 1991, Larry Thoma drove over from Walters to preach at Elgin First Assembly of God. By his own account, it started as something close to an audition. A month later, the church offered him the job full time, and he and his wife Belinda have called Elgin home ever since. This September, the congregation marked 35 years with him as pastor, with Bishop Darryl Wootton of the Oklahoma Assemblies of God Network speaking at the celebration.

That length of service alone would be notable. But Thoma’s story stretches beyond the church walls. He served on the Elgin City Council from 1992 to 2021, including 28 years as mayor, leading the town through decades of growth and change. He stepped down in 2020, saying he wanted to devote more time to his church and his family. He has also been open about how constant social media criticism factored into that decision, a pressure familiar to local officials across southwest Oklahoma.

Thoma once said he’s never sent out a resume in 35 years, and never looked for another place, because Elgin is where he and Belinda felt God had put them. For a town like Elgin, that kind of staying power says something about loyalty, calling, and the quiet value of a leader who simply keeps showing up.

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