Depending on who tells the story, Mr. Pitt’s fall is either that of a young preacher who rose too far too fast and thought he was above the law or, as his followers believe, a plot aimed at pulling down a man responsible for the development of their spiritual identities. Either way, it is a tale of central Alabama, a region dotted with churches and youth groups.

“He owns the stage when he’s on it,” said Blane Jett, 22, who first attended one of Mr. Pitt’s events when he was in high school. “He’s got the anointing of God on him, and no one else can do it like him.”

Mr. Pitt and his organization, Whosoever Ministries, have stood apart from others in the way they have regularly drawn crowds of more than 5,000. He brought a showman’s flair to the stage, where he would share his own story of sin and redemption with ceaseless exuberance and an array of effects that rivaled those at rock concerts.

His story was a gripping one: After a troubled college stint, a drug overdose and a pivotal meeting with his parents in the family’s basement, Mr. Pitt was moved to become a preacher and began inviting people to his home in 2004. He called his events the Basement.

“He is so real,” said Shelby Jackson, who first encountered Mr. Pitt’s messages on a DVD seven years ago. “He’s not afraid to share his heart and his struggles with the Lord.”