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Embattled South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller sold the property which previously housed his Solid Rock Church on Valentine’s Day for $2.15 million, according to Palmetto State property records. This location – which is closely tied to the saga surrounding his late wife, Mica Francis Miller – is now in the hands of developers who will decide its future.
Miller has come under withering scrutiny following the suspicious suicide of his late wife, an aspiring missionary and worship leader at the now-defunct church. Her untimely death last spring – and the troubling circumstances surrounding it – have many questioning the official version of events provided by law enforcement and medical examiners. Meanwhile, the bizarre manner in which John-Paul Miller announced her death to his congregation – and the increasingly erratic actions he has taken since agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raided his home four months ago – have invited further scrutiny and stoked additional skepticism.
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The buyer, Salem Woods Holdings, does not have specific plans for the property — at least not yet. Developer Gaither Thompson told The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier his company purchased it because it is prime real estate in an affluent community. He made it clear that they did not buy it so they could “open a church.”
This is not the first time Salem Woods has done business with Miller. Solid Rock acquired two parcels of land from the company in August 2023 for $610,000 – and announced plans to build a school. Those plans were abandoned after Mica’s death last spring. The two parcels, valued at $7.193 million, were transferred to Living Water Church at Market Common on December 13, 2024, for $5.
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BACKGROUND…
Exclusively reported by FITSNews, Mica’s tragic death has captured the attention of a global audience. To recap: The aspiring missionary and worship leader was found dead of a gunshot wound to the head at 4:23 p.m. EST on April 27, 2024 at North Carolina’s Lumber River State Park – a sprawling 14,000-acre wilderness located roughly an hour’s drive northwest of Myrtle Beach. Her body was found at this secluded location a short time after she called 911 asking the operator to pinpoint her phone – stating she was “going to kill herself” and wanted her family to be able to find her body.
Mica had traveled to this park from Myrtle Beach earlier that day, and her body was ultimately found in a swampy area approximately 40 meters from where police recovered spent shell casings and her belongings. She died less than 48 hours after serving divorce papers to John-Paul Miller.
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On April 28, 2024 – less than twelve hours after being notified of Mica’s death – John-Paul Miller delivered a sermon at Solid Rock. His message closed with a bizarre announcement of her passing, at which point Miller told congregants to leave the church quietly and not to discuss Mica’s death as they departed.
Mica’s death was officially ruled a suicide by North Carolina investigators and medical examiners, but the bizarre manner in which her husband revealed it – and subsequent allegations of harassment and abuse leveled against him in multiple court filings and previous 911 calls – have raised doubts.
In addition to the ‘Justice for Mica’ movement – which aims to amend South Carolina’s domestic violence laws – the saga has sparked the aforementioned FBI inquiry.
The Solid Rock property – a former Air Force base chapel originally built in 1958 – was acquired by John-Paul’s father, Reginald Wayne Miller, in 1995 for $280,000 as the base was closing. The 2.31-acre site became Cathedral Baptist Church and the Cathedral Bible College.
On January 2, 2013, the elder Miller’s ministry sold the property to Solid Rock Church for $300,000. Today, the property is valued at $2.257 million.
Many believe John-Paul Miller is engaged in a shell game in the hopes of protecting his assets – as the only remaining property owned by Solid Rock Church is the pastor’s home.
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None of Miller’s newly formed religious entities have been dissolved to date. They are all still operating in good standing with the South Carolina Secretary of State’s office.
The millions of dollars in recent real estate transactions linked to John-Paul Miller could be motivated by several factors – an attempt to avoid forfeiture or liability, a response to financial distress, the use of church assets as investment opportunities or an effort to control and complicate ownership.
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1. Avoiding Forfeiture or Liability
Given the ongoing FBI investigation, it is possible the transfer of church property is intended to protect these assets by making them seemingly unavailable for government forfeiture or civil liability.
- Transferring valuable properties from Solid Rock Church to newly created entities like Living Water Church and Mercy Church Ministries could be done with the intent of making it more difficult for these assets to be attached to future liabilities.
- The $5 transfer of the $7.2 million property to Living Water Church is a red flag for analysts — essentially gifting an asset to another church, possibly to prevent a court from seizing it.
- If a court finds the transfers were fraudulently undertaken to avoid debts or lawsuits, they could be voided under fraudulent transfer laws.
According to South Carolina law, any transfer or conveyance of property made with the intent to delay, hinder, or defraud creditors may be voided. This applies regardless of any justification for the transaction.
Red flags that may signal fraudulent intent under the law:
- a close relationship between the buyer and seller
- a debtor who retains control of the transferred property,
- a concealed transfer,
- a seller facing legal threats prior to the transaction,
- a transfer involving most or all of the individual’s assets
- assets were removed or hidden
- the transferred asset was undervalued
- transfers that deviate from normal business practices
Examining these factors helps courts determine whether a transaction is intended to evade consequences. A positive finding of two of these conditions indicates fraud under S.C. Code § 27-23-10 (2024).
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2. Response to Financial Instability
The liquidation of assets can signal a reaction to financial decline – or an attempt to stay afloat. Plans for the construction of a new school were abandoned following Mica’s death indicating potential internal struggles or a lack of funds to complete the project. Forming new entities and redistributing assets may be an attempt to rebrand and restart.
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3. Church Real Estate or Religion?
Are the properties in question more about business than religion? Many of the Solid Rock related properties have appreciated significantly for one reason or another since their purchase.
- The Solid Rock Church property, purchased for $280,000 in 1995, is now worth $2.257 million.
- The two parcels acquired from Salem Woods in August 2023 for $610,000 were valued at $3.43 million in 2022 and $7.193 million in 2024.
- Churches are often eligible for property tax exemptions effectively making real estate a way to accumulate tax-free wealth. However, churches buying and selling properties for financial gain is a violation of their tax exemption status. The IRS has strict rules against churches operating as for-profit businesses.
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4. Control and Complicate
While not specific to the sale of the Solid Rock property, Miller’s pattern of creating new religious entities (a total of five in a matter of weeks) and then redistributing the assets of Solid Rock Church amongst them could be an attempt to maintain control while at the same time complicating the tracking of true ownership.
- Living Water Church was formed on October 17, 2024, weeks before receiving the $7.2 million in properties.
- Mercy Church Ministries was founded on November 18, 2024, one day before purchasing another property for $155,000.
- By reallocating assets among multiple church entities, it becomes harder to track and link ownership directly to John-Paul Miller.
In light of these property transfers and the ongoing investigation involving John-Paul Miller, serious questions remain about these religious entities. As the FBI continues its inquiry, the public and congregation members alike will be watching closely to see if these dealings were legal loopholes or potential violations of nonprofit and financial laws. What remains clear is that the story of these church properties — and those who control them — is far from over.
As it has from the beginning, FITSNews will continue to follow the many threads of the Miller saga as it advances on multiple fronts.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Callie Lyons is a journalist, researcher and author. Her 2007 book ‘Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal’ was the first to cover forever chemicals and their impact on communities – a story later told in the movie ‘Dark Waters.’ Her investigative work has been featured in media outlets, publications, and documentaries all over the world. Lyons also appears in ‘Citizen Sleuth’ – a 2023 documentary exploring the genre of true crime.
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