DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews) — A former Dothan worship pastor with ministry ties across the Wiregrass has been arrested in Tennessee on multiple felony sex-related charges.
Joshua Landon Wilhoit, 43, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail in Dandridge, Tennessee, on Thursday, Aug. 27.
Publicly available Jefferson County booking information confirms a Joshua L. Wilhoit was booked Aug. 27.
Jail records indicate Wilhoit faces five sex-related charges, including rape and sexual battery. Details surrounding the allegations that led to the charges have not yet been made public.
Wilhoit has longstanding connections to southeast Alabama and previously served in church ministry in several Wiregrass communities.
The Alabama Baptist identified Wilhoit in a 2023 article as the worship and outreach pastor at Mount Gilead Baptist Church in Dothan. The article detailed his involvement with other area worship pastors in events involving churches in the Southeast Alabama Baptist Association.
Publicly available professional information also lists Wilhoit’s employment at Mount Gilead Baptist Church and shows previous work connections in Eufaula, Midland City, the Dothan area and Ozark. The names of all of those previous employers were not publicly available.
Wilhoit’s professional information also lists his attendance at The Baptist College of Florida from 2012 to 2015. A 2015 publication from the college separately lists a Joshua Wilhoit from Headland.
Wilhoit later moved to Tennessee and most recently served as a pastor in the Knoxville area. The church where he reportedly served had removed him from its website months before his arrest. WDNews has not independently confirmed the name of that church.
As of Friday, additional information about the circumstances surrounding the charges was not immediately available through publicly accessible Tennessee court information.
Details including when the alleged offenses occurred and what led to the investigation have not yet been confirmed.
It was also not immediately clear whether Wilhoit had an attorney representing him in the case.
The charges against Wilhoit are allegations. An arrest does not constitute a conviction, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
WDNews will continue following the case as additional information becomes available.
