Mica Miller pastor husband John-Paul booted from Myrtle Beach church just days after casually revealing his wife ‘suicide’ to shocked congregation – as doubt swirls over her cause of death

A pastor whos wife took her own life weeks after speaking out about alleged abuse within their marriage has been released from his ministerial functions. 

Pastor John-Paul Miller, 44, was released from his duties at Solid Rock at Market Common Church in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. 

His wife Mica Miller, 30, was found dead at Lumbee River State Park in North Carolina on April 27 from a self inflicted gunshot wound.   

An email seen by News13 said: ‘I, Charles Randall, by the authority vested in me as overseer, hereby release Pastor John-Paul Miller from all ministerial functions for a time of healing, counsel, and guidance, pursuant to our governing instrument.’

Weeks before her passing, she shared a video speaking about abuse within marriage as claims emerge she was being harassed and was ‘afraid for her life’. 

Miller, who has a criminal record including multiple counts of aggravated assault and battery to which he pleaded guilty, told his congregation that her death was ‘self-induced.’

‘You all know she wasn’t well mentally and that she needed her medicine and it was hard to get to her,’ he said.

Prior to making the announcement, he asked his flock to stand and instructed them to, ‘leave church quietly and don’t talk about the announcement here in the building.’

‘I’m taking a little bit of a break, it might be a few days or weeks. I got a call last night, my wife has passed away, yeah it was self-induced […] I’m just kind of going on adrenaline,’ Miller’s husband said.

An obituary penned by him also described his wife as ‘a great stepmother, and an amazing wife and helpmate’ and portrayed her as his biggest cheerleader.

Miller had called authorities before taking her own life, telling them: ‘I’m about to kill myself and I just want my family to know where to find me’. 

Officers were sent to the state park where he body was found with authorities confirming on Monday she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police said that throughout the call she remained calm, asking the dispatcher if her phone could be tracked.  

In the days after her death, her friends and family held a rally calling for ‘justice for Mica’ outside the Solid Rock Church where Pastor Miller, 44, works.

Weeks before she died Mica posted an emotional video in which she spoke of abuse within marriage and offered support to ‘ANYONE struggling with leaving a dangerous situation because they think God will be ‘mad’ at them.’

She said: ‘Today my heart’s a little heavy. I’ve had lots of women that have reached out to me about situations of abuse, and I just want to tell you what a lot of people have told me lately, because I think I forgot.

‘But you are the bride of Christ before anybody else’s, male or female, it doesn’t matter what gender you are, abuse is abuse.’

On Monday, before her cause of death was announced, ABC reported that Mica had filed police reports against a man – whose name was redacted in the reports – in March accusing him of harassing her.

She had told officers that she was ‘afraid for her life’, had found a tracking device on her car and had her tires repeatedly deflated.

In the days since Mica’s death on April 27, her family had pushed back at her husband’s explanation of it as suicide.

Speaking to DailyMail.com last week, Mica’s sister Sierra Brown said: ‘The one thing I would say is that he has said it was an official suicide, that is not the case. There’s still an open investigation.’ 

Mica’s death came just 48 hours after her husband, from whom she had been separated for one month, was served with divorce papers.

Court records hint at the tumult within the marriage with Mica first filing for divorce back in October 2023 before withdrawing the filing February 12.

Later that same month Miller filed against his wife for Separate Support and Maintenance in a motion withdrawn March 11.

But on April 15, just 12 days before she was found dead, Mica filed once more and, according to friends, also sought a no contact order against her husband.

Her friends Kenn and Allicia Young have also now insisted on NewsNation that Mica did not take her own life.

Allicia Young, who is a member of the Solid Rock Church alongside her husband Kenn, said: ‘I absolutely do not believe that she took her own life.’

‘I absolutely do not believe that she took her own life because she was energetic and her faith in God was unwavering,’ Allicia said on Banfield. 

‘She was always quick to encourage somebody else, including myself. We went to lunches together, we worked out together.’

In an interview with ABC15, Miller reiterated that his wife had taken her own life.

‘She had struggled with suicide before,’ he said. ‘Each time we would help her through it and take her to the doctor, and we got through it and everything was fine.

‘She even gave a few testimonies here at church that we have on video. She battled suicide but God took care of her and got her through it.’

He added she was ‘probably the greatest wife anyone could ask for’ and described nights spent talking to each other for hours.