Church was John-Paul Miller’s ‘sexual playground,’ suit says. Pastor accused of raping teen
A lawsuit has been filed against Myrtle Beach pastor John-Paul Miller, alleging he raped a 15-year-old girl in 1998 before sexually assaulting her again in 2023.
An Indiana woman, who filed under the pseudonym Jane Doe, named John-Paul Miller, his father Reginald Wayne Miller, Solid Rock Ministries, All Nations Cathedral Church and The Cathedral Baptist Church of the Grand Strand in the suit filed on Feb. 25.
John-Paul Miller declined to comment. His attorney did not respond immediately for a request to comment.
Doe is suing for negligence, civil conspiracy, assault and battery, infliction of emotional distress and violation of the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act.
Cathedral, Solid Rock, and their employees and agents had the opportunity to prevent harm against vulnerable children, yet, they “ignored clear warning signs of minors being sexual exploited or abuse by church staff, members, or volunteers,” the suit claims.
The lawsuit claims that despite their knowledge of John-Paul Miller’s predatory behavior, his father and church officials took affirmative steps to hide, suppress, and prevent the reporting of his actions, including allowing him to remain in leadership, refusing to report his conduct to law enforcement, suppressing or destroying evidence and complaints made by victims or church members and failing to implement safety measures to protect minors.
What the suit claims happened
In 1998, Doe was attending All Nations Church, formerly known as Cathedral Baptist Church of the Grand Strand Inc., with her grandparents. All Nations Church was operated by Miller’s father, Reginald Wayne Miller.
Doe states on July 19, 1998, she was looking for her grandfather’s Sunday school class when she encountered a 19-year-old Miller, who was employed as a youth leader, in the church sanctuary, playing the piano. He started a conversation with Doe and Doe then left to go to the bathroom, the suit said.
When Doe exited the restroom, she encountered Miller standing near his father’s office door and the two began another conversation, the suit said. Without warning, Miller forced Doe inside his father’s office, shutting the door behind him, the suit said.
There he became aggressive, overpowered Doe and pushed her against the wall. Doe repeatedly asked John-Paul Miller to stop but he did not, instead taking her outside and into his truck. There he raped the teenage girl, the suit said.
“At the time, she did not fully comprehend the nature of what had happened to her or the extent of the harm it caused. The trauma was deeply buried, and for decades, she had no conscious recollection of the assault,” the lawsuit said.
Doe repressed the memory of her rape until a 2023 encounter with John-Paul Miller, according to the suit. At that time, despite being in a public setting, Miller leaned into Jane Doe as if to hug her and shoved his hand down her pants touching her genitals without consent, the suit claims.
“This church was JPM’s sexual playground,” the lawsuit stated.
When Doe heard about the death of Miller’s wife, Mica Miller, she felt “immense guilt” and believed if she had spoken up sooner about her rape and sexual assault, she may have prevented further harm, according to the lawsuit.
The pastor has been at the center of controversy since his wife, Mica Miller, committed suicide in April 2024. Since her death, Mica Miller’s family has accused John-Paul Miller of abusing her and it has been alleged that he may have had something to do with his wife’s death. John-Paul Miller has denied these claims.
What has happened since Mica Miller’s death?
Mica Miller committed suicide on April 27, according to North Carolina officials. In May, Robeson County Sheriff’s Office released a video of her buying a gun before driving from Myrtle Beach to a North Carolina state park. There, she called 911 and told them she was planning to kill herself. Her body was found in the state park.
Her death has become a national conversation topic, with people taking to social media about her death, using the #JusticeForMica.
Mica Miller’s father and sister, Michael and Sierra Francis, told The Sun News previously that they believe Mica Miller was in an abusive relationship with John-Paul Miller. The family made it known that they did not approve of the couple’s relationship.
The family also offered help as she tried to leave him, they claim. Mica Miller had filed for separation from her husband multiple times before her death. At the time of her death, the couple were estranged.
Mica Miller also struggled with mental illness, according to her husband. Mica Miller talked openly about issues she was dealing with on her Facebook page. Medical records provided by John-Paul Miller show she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and dependent personality disorder. Her family denied she had a history of mental health, saying her disorders didn’t start until she got involved with John-Paul Miller.
In November, the FBI searched John-Paul Miller’s Myrtle Beach home for reasons that remain unknown. The Sun News requested the incident report but have not received it as of Feb. 3.
Later in the month, Solid Rock Church closed.
In addition, John-Paul Miller was arrested for third-degree assault in November after an argument with one of the many protesters outside his church.
This isn’t the first Miller family controversy
In 2014, John-Paul Miller’s father, Reginald Wayne Miller, who founded the Cathedral Bible College, pleaded guilty in federal court to felony charges related to his treatment of international students who came to the Myrtle Beach college to earn degrees in theology, ministry and other Christian studies.
The senior Miller also was embroiled in controversy over allegations of sexual improprieties that forced him to move his ministry from Florence to Myrtle Beach.
Miller once led one of South Carolina’s largest charismatic churches and was a leading spokesman for the movement, which emphasizes speaking in tongues, prophecy and faith healing.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 11:00 AM.
