Inside the Twisted Ties Between Joseph Duggar and Wife Kendra's Families — As Couple Faces Possible Prison Time Over 'Child Endangerment' Allegations
Joe and Kendra Duggar first met at her father's church.
March 24 2026, Updated 3:07 p.m. ET
Joseph Duggar and his wife, Kendra, have a lengthy family history together, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The pair both come from huge families led by staunch fundamentalist Christian patriarchs, and the couple knew each other for years before getting married in 2017.
Paul Caldwell Officiated the Weddings of Two Duggar Kids
Paul and Christina Caldwell share nine children between the ages of 4 and 27.
Kendra is the oldest of nine children born to Pastor Paul Caldwell and his wife, Christina.
He was a pastor at a church in Virginia before relocating to Fayetteville, Arkansas, to found the Lighthouse Baptist Church in 2008. It was at his church that Joe and Kendra first met.
The Caldwells raised their brood in Siloam Springs, not far from the massive Duggar family compound in Tontitown.
The two families were once incredibly close, both socially and religiously. Paul officiated Joy-Anna Duggar's wedding to Austin Forsyth on May 26, 2017, as well as Joe and Kendra's nuptials in September of that year.
Paul and Jim Bob Duggar reportedly had a major falling out around 2020 and no longer speak.
Paul Caldwell Sought a Political Office in Arkansas, With 'Friend' Josh Duggar's Support
Josh Duggar asked fans to support Kendra's dad's political aspirations prior to the sex offender's downfall.
Imprisoned sicko Josh Duggar, who is serving a 12-year sentence for receiving child pornography, publicly told fans to follow Paul and show their support on social media during his unsuccessful run for the Arkansas State House in 2014.
"Follow my friend: @PaulGCaldwell. He is a Pastor running for State Representative in Arkansas's District 90. #conservative #leader," the eldest Duggar son wrote to Twitter in February 2014.
The post still remains on X today, as one person commented to it on March 24, "This didn't age well."
Kendra Duggar's Family Was Featured on 'Counting On'
Paul Caldwell was seen in a 2017 episode of 'Counting On.'
Paul was featured on the Duggars' TLC reality series Counting On, after Josh's molestation scandal caused the network to cancel the family's original show, 19 Kids and Counting.
Joe was memorably seen asking Paul for permission to court Kendra, as well as his later plea to marry her.
The church leader became a familiar face to viewers over the years on the 19 Kids and Counting spinoff as Joe and Kendra started their family, which now includes four small children.
Paul had previously caused a storm of controversy in 2015, after members of his church handed out anti-LGBTQ pamphlets claiming, "there are no such things as homosexuals," and questioned God's love for gay people.
While it sparked local outrage in Arkansas, Paul claimed his church was only trying to "spread love."
Joe and Kendra Duggar's Shocking Arrests
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Joe and Kendra Duggar both wound up with mugshots following their arrests last week.
Joe and Kendra found themselves making headlines last week for all the wrong reasons, years after mysteriously quitting social media in November 2021.
The seventh-oldest Duggar child was arrested on March 18 after he allegedly confessed to molesting a now 14-year-old girl, telling both her father and a Tontitown detective that his "intentions were not pure," according to an affidavit filed by the Bay County, Florida, Sheriff's Office.
Authorities later searched his family's home and reportedly discovered two bedroom doors that could only be locked from the outside.
That resulted in Joe and Kendra each getting hit with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of false imprisonment on March 20. Since Joe was already behind bars, Kendra was arrested and later released after posting bond.
She was noticeably not picked up from the Washington County Detention Center by one of her own family members, but by her mother-in-law, Michelle Duggar.
