Scott Willmore was released on $30,000 bond after surrendering at the Tuscaloosa County Jail.
NORTHPORT, AL — A Northport church pastor has been indicted on a felony theft charge after a Tuscaloosa County investigation into church finances, authorities said, placing a local congregation at the center of a criminal case now headed for court.
Scott Willmore, senior pastor of The Word Community Church, faces one count of first-degree theft of property. The charge followed a sheriff’s office investigation that began several months ago after people raised concerns about how church money was being handled. Willmore surrendered June 8 at the Tuscaloosa County Jail and was released after bond was set at $30,000.
The Word Community Church is on Highway 69 North in the Northport area, a short drive from Tuscaloosa. Investigators with the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office reviewed church financial records and interviewed people connected to the matter before presenting evidence to a Tuscaloosa County grand jury. The grand jury returned an indictment accusing Willmore of stealing U.S. currency that belonged to the church. The exact amount at issue has not been fully detailed by authorities, though first-degree theft in Alabama applies when the value of stolen property exceeds $2,500 in many cases.
Willmore has not been convicted of a crime. An indictment is a formal accusation that allows a case to move forward in court. Prosecutors still must prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. The sheriff’s office has not released a full account of the alleged spending, the dates covered by the investigation or the specific transactions that led to the indictment. Authorities also have not publicly identified all of the people who first brought concerns to investigators.
Church leaders pushed back after the arrest and said the congregation itself was not driving the criminal case. An elder for The Word Community Church said the elder board had known about the sheriff’s office investigation and had conducted its own review. The elder said the board and finance committee had not found wrongdoing by Willmore and said they “stand behind him.” The statement also said former members were behind the allegations, a claim that has not been tested in court.
The case has drawn attention because it involves a pastor accused of taking money from the church he leads, while the church’s current leadership is publicly defending him. In Alabama, first-degree theft of property is a Class B felony. State law classifies theft above $2,500 as first-degree theft in many property cases, though the details of the indictment will guide how prosecutors present the charge. The legal process is separate from any internal church review.
The next steps are expected to include arraignment, where Willmore would formally hear the charge and enter a plea. Reports have placed that court step in August, though a detailed hearing schedule had not been made public in the initial accounts. Prosecutors may later file additional documents that spell out the allegations in more detail, while defense filings could challenge the evidence, the wording of the indictment or the handling of the investigation.
For now, The Word Community Church remains under public scrutiny as its pastor faces a felony case and its elder board continues to defend him. The sheriff’s office has said the case came after concerns were reported and financial records were reviewed. The court record, not the church statement or the initial arrest report, will decide what evidence reaches a judge or jury.
Author note: Last updated June 15, 2026.