Pastor John Paul Miller: Legal Battles, Church Closure, and Ongoing Controversy

Mica Miller was found dead at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park on April 27, 2024, after calling 911 to announce her intention to die by suicide. The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office ruled the death a suicide and recovered the firearm she had purchased that day. In the weeks that followed, congregants abandoned Solid Rock Church, and the property was eventually sold.

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John Paul Miller rose to prominence preaching to roughly 700 members of Solid Rock Church in South Carolina. He is the son of Reginald Wayne Miller, founder of Cathedral Bible College, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to federal fraud charges involving foreign-labor contracts. John Paul’s first marriage to Alison Williams produced children; the couple later divorced after Alison discovered his affair with Mica, who had been the church’s assistant and family babysitter.

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In December 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina indicted John Paul Miller on federal cyberstalking and false-statement charges. Prosecutors allege a pattern of unwanted communications, including posting a non-consensual nude photo, installing tracking devices on Mica’s vehicle, and contacting her more than 50 times in a single day. Miller has entered a not-guilty plea.

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Separately, Alison Williams filed an emergency custody affidavit accusing Miller of “increasingly unstable behaviors,” exposing their children to domestic disputes, and engaging in sexual misconduct with underage congregants. A Horry County clerk’s office confirmed the custody case was sealed, and a civil lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by an unnamed woman remains pending.

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Solid Rock Church ceased operations in 2024; the 2.3-acre Myrtle Beach property sold for $2.1 million in 2025. Miller attributes the decline to community backlash and protests. He subsequently founded Mercy Church, a mobile congregation that meets in available spaces. Miller has publicly described his efforts as “giving mercy” while also indicating a shift toward seeking “justice” in 2025.

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Court records show Miller is scheduled for a federal hearing in October 2025. Prosecutors have indicated that, if convicted, he could face up to five years imprisonment for cyberstalking, two years for false-statement charges, and fines up to $250,000.

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