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While headlines fixated on the bizarre beachside wedding of embattled South Carolina pastor John-Paul Miller and his new bride, Suzie Skinner, another story related to this religious-themed drama was unfolding at the Horry County clerk’s office in Conway, S.C.
On May 28, 2025, Horry County clerk of court Renee Elvis entered orders of default against Miller’s father – Reginald Wayne Miller.
Elvis’ order means Miller owes damages to Jane Doe 1 (.pdf) and Jane Doe 2 (.pdf) in their civil lawsuits – which named him and his religious entities among their defendants.
The orders mark a significant step forward for the plaintiffs, who have accused the Millers of decades of abuse under the guise of faith and religious authority. The default orders were entered because Miller and the churches he led — including Cathedral Baptist Church, All Nations Cathedral Church, and Cathedral Hall Academy (a.k.a. Grand Strand Academy) — failed to respond to the two lawsuits within the 30-day legal deadline after being properly served.
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By contrast, John-Paul Miller and his church – Solid Rock Ministries – did file responses and remain active defendants in both lawsuits.
The legal actions are part of a rapidly expanding web of allegations against the Millers. As previously reported by FITSNews, Jane Doe 1 filed suit on February 25, 2025, alleging she was sexually assaulted at Cathedral Baptist Church in 1998 — and later re-victimized by John-Paul Miller in 2023, triggering a flood of repressed memories.
Jane Doe 2 followed with a separate lawsuit on March 5, 2025, detailing years of sexual, spiritual, and psychological abuse she says she suffered while enrolled at Cathedral Hall Academy, where John-Paul Miller was a teacher. Both plaintiffs accuse the Millers of exploiting their pastoral authority to groom and abuse young women — and of operating within an institutional culture that concealed, enabled, and perpetuated abuse.
Attorneys Mark Tinsley and Randy Hood, who represent the plaintiffs, filed motions seeking default judgment (.pdf) after receiving no response from Reginald Wayne Miller and his affiliated institutions. The court granted that request, moving the case to the next phase: a hearing on unliquidated damages. Because the financial harm and emotional toll alleged in the suits are not fixed amounts, a judge will hold an evidentiary hearing to determine the extent of damages.
Meanwhile, John-Paul Miller remains at the center of multiple investigations — including a federal probe into the suspicious death of his second wife, Mica Francis Miller, and continued scrutiny surrounding the 2021 death of Suzie Skinner’s former husband, Chris Skinner.
For the latest on those components of this broader story, click here…
As the legal and criminal fallout continues to unfold, the lawsuits filed by Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 may prove pivotal in holding powerful religious figures accountable — and exposing the institutional structures that allegedly allowed the abuse to flourish unchecked for decades.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Callie Lyons is a relentless investigative journalist, researcher, and author known for exposing hard truths with heart and precision. As a journalist for FITSNews, she dives into high-profile and murky cases—like that of Mica Francis Miller— with fearless resolve and a sharp eye for detail, whether it’s tracking white-collar crime, uncovering religious abuse, or examining the often-bizarre behavior of those who believe they’re above the law.
Callie made waves with her groundbreaking 2007 book Stain-Resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal, the first to reveal the dangers of forever chemicals, a story that helped inspire the film Dark Waters and influenced global scientific dialogue. Her work has appeared in numerous documentaries, including Toxic Soup, National Geographic’s Parched: Toxic Waters, and more recently Citizen Sleuth, which examines the complexities of true crime podcasting.
Whether she’s navigating environmental disasters or the darker corners of society, Lyons operates with one guiding belief: “Truth never damages a cause that is just.”
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