Justin Duggar Made a Major Move Before Announcing His Engagement and ‘Counting On’ Fans Completely Missed It

Justin Duggar didn't exactly shock 'Counting On' fans when he announced he was engaged to Claire Spivey one day after his 18th birthday.

by Perry Carpenter

Published on November 24, 2020

3 min read

The ‘Counting On’ star is the youngest Duggar ever to announce an engagement

Since the Duggar children made their reality TV debut in 2008, fans have witnessed nine engagement announcements, eight weddings, and 19 pregnancy announcements. That number doesn’t even include Michelle’s two pregnancies that turned 17 Kids & Counting into 19 Kids & Counting.

Justin has eight married siblings. But at 18 years and 1 day, he is the youngest Duggar ever to announce an engagement. Before Justin, his sister Joy-Anna was the youngest to get engaged. She announced her engagement to Austin Forsyth and got married when she was just 19.

Justin and Claire, 19, have actually been together for 14 months, which means they started courting when he was just 16 and she was 17. If they follow in his siblings’ footsteps, they will most likely be married within a few months. Of course, fans will expect a pregnancy announcement not long after.

Justin Duggar joined Claire Spivey’s church in Fort Worth, Texas

Between his 18th birthday and the engagement announcement, Counting On fans totally missed the fact that Justin just joined Claire’s church. As The Hollywood Gossip points out, it appears that Justin is taking a page out of his sister Jinger’s playbook and is moving to Texas.

When she first married Jeremy Vuolo, Jinger Duggar moved to Laredo, Texas where Jeremy was the pastor of a church. The couple now lives in Los Angeles, California, and Jinger is the only Duggar who currently lives outside of Arkansas.

But, that’s going to change very soon. According to an announcement made on his 18th birthday, Justin has joined Fairbank Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. It appears that this church congregation also has extreme fundamentalist beliefs just like the Duggars.

“Justin Duggar has indicated to me he would like to join the church,” pastor David Waller said on Sunday, November 15, in a sermon to his congregation.But before we let him join, I think we need to sing happy birthday — is it today? The big 18, happy birthday, Justin.”

“Justin had indicated he has trusted Christ as his Lord and savior,” Waller announced. “He has been biblically baptized, and we have talked a little bit.”

A former ‘Counting On’ star reveals why the Duggars get married so young

Pastor Waller told his congregation that he spoke to both Justin and Claire before the Sunday service because he “wanted to hear their testimony and what God is doing in their lives.” He then made a motion to accept Justin as a member of the Fairbank Baptist Church, and the congregation approved it.

“We are so blessed to have Justin join us here,” Waller Gushed. “And we’re so excited for what God is doing here. It’s contagious what is happening in this church, it’s all your fault you married folk, you’re all too happy and married.”

Waller then noted that “a lot of young people” were excited about what God is doing in their lives. He encouraged his congregation to pray for the young people in their church to find a Godly spouse, stay pure, and focus on the Lord.

But according to Justin’s brother-in-law Derick Dillard, there’s another reason why the Duggars get married so young. When a fan asked the Counting On stars were in such a rush to get married, Derick replied, “Because we want to have sex.”