Pastor JP Miller’s criminal record reveals corruption at Solid Rock church

Over the past several days, many media outlets have looked closely at the circumstances around the death of Mica Miller. Mica, 30, was the wife of South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller (JP, as his wife called him), who works for Solid Rock Church in Market Common in Myrtle Beach. Mica was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at Lumber State Park in Lumberton, North Carolina, according to area police, just 48 hours after her husband was served with divorce papers. As a result, and due to a variety of questionable circumstances, including JP’s odd behavior after her death, many question the coroner’s conclusion that her death was a suicide.

But regardless of how Mica died, a deep dive into JP’s background suggests that Mica’s death is just the tip of the iceberg in a pattern of abuse and corruption. Included in this web of illegal conduct are multiple allegations of domestic violence, criminal charges, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

It was this abuse and corruption, which was aided and abetted by Solid Rock Church and its so-called leadership, that we believe bears ultimate responsibility for Mica’s death. In addition, JP’s behavior is eerily similar to that of several other persons whom we believe are abusive and evince behavior suggesting major mental health issues, including:

• Episcopal priest Dan McClain
• Episcopal priest and perjurer Bob Malm
• Episcopal priest Amjad Samuel
• Liam Goligher, adulterous perjurer and former pastor of Tenth Presbyterian in Philadelphia
• Steve Berger, Christian nationalist preacher
• Rob Rogers, Berger’s successor at Grace Chapel, Tennessee
• Aaron Solomon, father of the late Grant Solomon and the person we believe killed Grant

JP’s sordid criminal history

Even more troubling is the context in which these allegations arise. Specifically, Anglican Watch has located what appear to be criminal charges involving JP dating back to 1997:

• In 1997, local prosecutors appear to have dropped charges in a series of alcohol- and cannabis-related cases against JP in a negotiated outcome. One of the charges included contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
• On April 13, 2000, an Illinois court found JP guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and knowingly causing property damage in excess of $300.
• On February 28, 2005, charges of domestic assault/battery and bodily harm were nolle prossed, or non-prosecuted, by an Illinois court.

On this latter charge, it’s essential to recognize that there are myriad reasons a court may drop charges in a case like this, including the possibility that the victim has been intimidated — or seduced — into dropping charges or refusing to testify. A decision not to prosecute is not the same as a finding of innocence; indeed, it is common for criminal charges to fall through while a civil lawsuit prevails due to the different standards of proof in a civil proceeding.

In other words, there’s plenty of reason to ask tough questions about JP.

Recent allegations about JP are plausible and disturbing

We also find the recent allegations that JP stalked Mica, threatened her, and slashed her tires to be convincing.

These behaviors are consistent with JP’s prior conduct and suggest significant mental health issues, including potential antisocial personality disorder, sociopathy, and borderline personality disorder.

To be clear, we are not mental health professionals and thus cannot say with certainty that any of these issues apply.

But over time, a portrait of JP emerges–one of a man who is manipulative, indifferent to the needs and well-being of others, and who acts in ways inconsistent with social norms.

Consider the email from JP submitted as part of Mica’s request for a protective order:

When someone hurts me, I try to hurt them back rather than forgive.” and “instead of me forgiving you . . . . I just attack and try to cause pain.”

Whoa. And from a preacher, no less.

It’s also important to look at what JP is trying to accomplish in his email. In addition to saying he willingly hurts others, he, in textbook fashion, tries to shift the blame by saying, “When someone [AKA Mica] hurts me….”

For the record, every time we have seen that behavior, we’ve seen other hallmarks of a deeply troubled personality. For example, Episcopal priest Bob Malm has made almost verbatim comments in front of his bishop, only to go on to engage in multiple incidents of still unaddressed felony criminal behavior.

In other words, from where we sit, phraseology of this sort is an all-hands-to-battle-stations, DEFCON 1 situation. It’s every man, woman, and child for themselves. Run, don’t walk, to the nearest exit. Brace for impact.

Then, we come to JP’s seemingly over-the-top narcissism.

In our experience, narcissists try to disguise their lack of human empathy by adopting personas, with a particularly popular persona being clergy. Thus, they learn by rote, smiling at the correct times, saying the right things, giving out hugs, and more, even though there’s no normal emotional component behind the behavior.

The problem for narcissists comes when they sail into uncharted seas. When that happens, they don’t know what to do, so they turn to tired and situationally inappropriate tactics.

For example, one Episcopal priest we know, in talking at a parish annual meeting about a proposed columbarium for the church — which, we note, was not even arguably financially feasible — closed with a glowing, “So you can be happy about that.”

As part of his regular dog and pony show, that priest likes to tell people to be happy about various things. All part of the whole winsome and guileless routine.

But the parish annual meeting where he made his comment squirmed in awkward silence afterwards, as even the nicest columbarium is not really a source of happiness for most people.

Similarly, JP appears to have resorted to form following Mica’s death when he gave the usual Sunday happy-clappy to his congregation. That included fishing for adulation by proclaiming himself handsome and sexy–which, we suppose, is true if you have a thing for weasels. But his behavior and his comments were spectacularly inappropriate and flat-footed after the death of his wife, and even worse when combined with the spiritual abuse of telling church members they couldn’t discuss the issue.

Newsflash, JP: Folks have the right to discuss anything they want. There may be times, as in gossip and parking lot conversations, where doing so is inappropriate, but this is not one of them.

JP pulled the same stunt with Mica’s obituary, proclaiming her to have been his biggest admirer.

All we can say is, between the divorce filing, the police reports alleging abuse/stalking, and the request(s) for a protective order, that’s pretty rich. Mica didn’t admire him and neither do we.

Meanwhile, we find the allegations against JP revealing, especially when we compare his purported actions of the Machiavellianism of Dan McClain, Bob Malm, and the other buttheads listed previously in this post.

Check those allegations out below, and compare them with the behavior of any church leader you suspect is abusive. We think many will sound all too familiar to you.

JP’s alleged affair

Next we turn to the related issue of JP Miller’s alleged affair, which is straight out of the whole Dan McClain/Liam Goligher playbook.

Let’s be clear about that issue: We categorically reject the claims of some media outlets that JP and Mica were separated long enough that it was okay for JP to have an affair.

Sorry folks, a marriage vow is a marriage vow. If a divorce is necessary, so be it. Once a divorce or annulment is final, the vow ends, and folks can then date whom they will. But until then, a vow is a vow. We really don’t care that the clergyperson’s adulterous partner is, per Dan McClain, “special,” or the clergyperson feels entitled, justified, or any of the other usual nonsense. Clergy supposedly are held to a higher standard, so this just isn’t going to cut it

There’s also a logical problem there. If JP was justified in having an affair, why was he allegedly putting tracking devices on Mica’s car and stalking her? He cannot have it both ways. There is no excuse for his affair, especially in light of JP’s assertions that his wife was mentally ill.

The role of local law enforcement and the judiciary

In all of this, we also are left wondering why local law enforcement and the courts didn’t do more for Mica.

Abused persons often feel they cannot file a police report against their abuser. Reasons for feeling this way vary and include the fear no one will believe them (more on that in a moment), that doing so may expose them to violence, or just the notion that, after being so thoroughly abused, they never will be successful at anything, including leaving their abuser.

For these reasons, law enforcement and the courts need to be alert to situations in which someone may not be able to seek help. In those cases, competent professionals may move forward, with or without the victim’s consent, to get protective orders, file criminal charges, or help the victim find secure shelter.

In Mica’s case, we know she contacted police repeatedly to get help, including from a gas station and from an automobile dealer. And we know she sought a protective order, although we are unclear as to the outcome.

In other words, on some level, it doesn’t matter who physically killed Mica. The situation, replete with prior charges of domestic assault, should never have been allowed to reach the point that it did. Mica should not have had to contact law enforcement repeatedly to be safe. And if she did commit suicide, we suspect it was because the system had failed her so many times that she felt she had no other choice.

Solid Rock is culpable

In all of this, there’s one organization and group of people that are morally responsible for Mica’s death, and that is Solid Rock church.

For starters, in a small church community like this, it is very unlikely that others did not know of the ongoing problems with JP’s behavior. Indeed, the countless people, including Mica’s family members, who have come forward calling for an investigation make it painfully obvious that Mica’s abuse has been playing out in the public eye for a long time.

Yet we see no sign that Solid Rock has done anything to address the issue until now.

As a pastor, JP occupied a position of greater perceived power. Both the church and its members made this possible, holding JP forth as some sort of exemplary professional Christian.

To that we say, “bull.” Anyone who abuses another person in any way has no role in ministry, and that is not confined to sexual or physical abuse.

Of course, some will say, “We had no idea.”

But even a cursory look at JP’s preaching makes clear there was and is a problem. A true leader points others to God; JP wants people to think he’s handsome and sexy.

Another test is the age-old thing about the two kinds of clergy: Those who want to serve you and those who want you to serve them. Guess which category JP occupies. It’s neither hard to figure out nor the sort of thing Christians can legitimately ignore.

Then we come to JP’s criminal record. Even allegations of domestic violence should result in intense scrutiny—and criminal charges should be close to automatically disqualifying, regardless of the outcome in court.

In other words, if we have to ask the question, we already know the answer.

And Solid Rock knew, or had an obligation to know, of JP’s sordid behavior. That is doubly the case when, as here, Solid Rock was holding itself forth as a “family church,” which appeared on its website. As in, someone thought allowing JP access to children was okay?

As for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, we don’t care if charges were dropped, if JP cured cancer the following day, or any other excuse or explanation. The only way we’d give him a pass on those issues would be if someone could show the charges were a clerical mistake and involved someone else entirely — and even then, we’d look very closely.

Yet no one at Solid Rock thought JP’s record was problematic? Or they didn’t bother to check at all? Assault with a deadly weapon, and these buttheads think he’s an acceptable person to serve as pastor? What on this green earth were they thinking? And we have a funny feeling that this is not JP’s first ministry meltdown–his seemingly hasty retreat from Illinois suggests there’ve been previous problems.

While we’re on the topic, where is the concern for Mica at this church, which proclaims itself on the sign in front to be “a church of love?” Did anyone:

• Offer to provide Mica refuge?
• Put her in touch with domestic violence advocates?
• Push church officials to address JP’s behavior?

Nor is it likely that church officials were unaware of JP’s purported adulterous affair.

In other words, Solid Rock is corrupt in every sense of the term.

Its leadership has engaged in misfeasance, malfeasance, and nonfeasance, and its membership is complicit. Being a Christian involves more than just showing up and being part of a church community—it requires acting with integrity, even when no one else will.

Closing thoughts

In closing, we are appalled by this situation. Not just because of the abject failure to protect Mica, but also the church’s failure to address ongoing issues with JP’s behavior.

Moreover, the problems with the church and its so-called leadership are endemic in church communities. Indeed, one of the worst offenders is the Episcopal Church, which talks a good game but doesn’t do jack if the situation doesn’t involve sex or money.

Let’s hope that persons of every faith tradition look closely at this situation, scrutinize the underlying clergy misconduct in the run-up to Mica’s death, and consider lessons learned for their own house of worship.

Anglican Watch will supply other media outlets with the specific information we located about JP’s criminal record.

updated May 10 to correct typo, first paragraph, reversing words “husband” and “wife”