Pastor John-Paul Miller, 45, from South Carolina is now at the center of a national controversy following the tragic death of his wife, Mica Miller, who committed suicide and he was taken into custody by law enforcement on assault charges, all of which happened just a few short days after the FBI conducted a raid on his home. Miller was slapped with a charge of third-degree assault and battery. The incident that led to the charge was due to a violent encounter the pastor had with a “Justice for Mica” protester outside of his church located in Myrtle Beach.
Miller, according to The Christian Tribune, spend a night in jail and was released on a bond of $776 during a hearing that only lasted 20 minutes the following day. He then made another court appearance on Dec. 10. Ever since his wife Mica died due to suicide earlier this year, Miller has been hit with one protest after another. In the video footage of the confrontation, the South Carolina pastor verbally berates a woman who claims he laid his hands on her.
“What did you say? You walked right up to me,” Miller demanded of the woman in the video of the argument, which happened Wednesday. He was then seen waving his arms at the woman. Just one day before the heated interaction, Solid Rock, Miller’s church, was closed and the website and phone number were disconnected. Neither Miller nor a representative of the Church have commented. A week before, the FBI raided John-Paul Miller’s home. A lawyer representing the embattled pastor claimed he had “no idea” what the search was related to. However, the pastor has been the center of controversy since his wife’s death. Mica Miller, his 30-year-old wife, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park.
This was in April, several days after she served her husband with divorce papers. In the months since her suicide, Mica’s relatives have begged law enforcement to “deeply” investigate the case. His family also alleges that Miller had abused her. Mica had accused Miller of slashing her tires, installing a tracking device on her car, and hospitalizing her against her will. She also alleges “grooming” which began when she was just 10 years old.
The story made national news when Miller announced Mica’s death casually during a sermon at Solid Rock. He told his congregation “I got a call late last night, my wife has passed away. It was self-induced and it was up in North Carolina.” He claimed that his late wife suffered from mental illness and had been hospitalized multiple times in the past. He has not only denied all the accusations of abuse and involvement in his wife’s death but has also claimed he tried to “raise her from the dead.” New of Mica’s allegations, and the FBI investigation have divided the church community. Damien McLean of the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office clarified that the investigation was “separate from (Mica’s) death.”
During the search of Miller’s home, the FBI seized several items, including computer equipment. His house, along with the church’s facilities, are all part of a real estate portfolio managed by Solid Rock Ministries and are worth $5.59 million. Not long after the violent altercation with the protester, Miller was officially named as a registered agency for another entity known as “Living Water Church at Market Common Inc.”
There’s definitely something strange about this whole situation. Here’s to hoping authorities are able to get to the bottom of everything.