Posted on 05/04/2024 11:16:08 AM PDT by Morgana
John-Paul Miller, founder and pastor at Solid Rock at Market Common in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, made the shocking announcement at the end Sunday’s (April 28) worship service that his wife, Mica Miller, died by suicide.
Miller and his 30-year-old wife were married in 2017—a marriage that provided her with five stepchildren. The church’s website describes their family as ones “who have a heart to love God and love people.”
According to Mica’s obituary, which was written by her husband but doesn’t list her cause of death, the pastor’s wife died on Saturday, April 27.
She is described as a “great stepmother, and an amazing wife and helpmate. She helped Pastor John-Paul with the church in every way.” The description continues, “Mica was the worship leader, graphics designer, youth leader, women’s ministry leader, and Pastor’s assistant. And she did all of this with the upmost integrity and faithfulness.”
“She would praise her husband after every church service telling him he was the best preacher in the world (even if it wasn’t true). She also told him he was the funniest preacher in the world (even though that wasn’t true either),” her obituary stated. “Mica loved her family soooooooo much…[and] desired to see people come to Jesus!”
“We’re not going to do altar call today,” Miller told the congregation Sunday. “Instead, I’m going to have you stand up and I’m going to make an announcement. And after the announcement I’m going to ask that you leave church quietly and don’t talk about the announcement here in the building.”
Before sharing about his wife, Miller said that he was going to take a break for an unknown amount of time and asked congregants to “continue to come to the church, serve, and tithe.
“I don’t want to have to worry about the church,” he said.
An emotional Miller then revealed “I got a call late last night [that] my wife has passed. It was self-induced, and it was up in North Carolina. We’re gonna have a funeral for her next Sunday here at 3:00 p.m.”
Miller asked for prayers for himself and the kids and told everyone that his wife “wasn’t well mentally and that she needed her medicine [but it] was hard to get to her.”
According to ABC15 News, authorities, who are “actively investigating” Mica’s death, found her body at Lumber River State Park in Orrum, North Carolina, and plan to release further details in the days to come.
“She had struggled with suicide before. Each time, we would help her through it and take her to the doctor, and we got through it and everything was fine,” Miller told the local news outlet. “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.”
“She was probably the greatest wife anyone could ask for,” he added. “She was incredibly affirming. We spent every night together for hours just talking and talking and talking.”
Facebook videos that Mica shared over the last couple of months reveal her sharing that she’s “alive and well” but that “life has been kind of crazy the couple past weeks…months…years.”
In one from March 18, she said that, due to her unmentioned circumstances, she has had to keep her family and friends “circle really small for the past couple weeks just because I’m going through a lot and it’s hard and it’s my cross to bear.”
“I just wanted to shared that my heart and my prayer is that the church would stay strong,” she added. “That you all would stick together because the church is God’s people. It’s not a man. It’s not a person. It’s not me. It’s God’s people, the bride of Christ.”
As Mica continued, she said that “there’s a lot of really good people in the church that I just hope would continue on, press toward the calling, run your race, stay encouraged, stay in the Word, keep worshiping.” She added, “I can’t wait to worship again with everybody, but for now I am just worshiping with me and Jesus.”
“I don’t think God would be pleased with me if I just jumped right into missions and women’s events and creative directing and worship leading and stuff,” Mica said, continuing on to say the following:
I think when your world is shook up, you need to take a pause, and I can only pray that more people will take a pause. I’m trying to get my priorities straight right now and that’s making sure that my heart doesn’t have any unforgiveness, bitterness, [or] resentment. Just forgiveness and hope for the future and peace because you can’t put a price on peace from God.
Mica followed that video with another talking about abuse and how God hates divorce. She encouraged those listening that “you are the bride of Christ first before anybody else’s. And he’s got you and he sees you and he loves you.”
Friends and family of Mica are on social media and speaking to news outlets to encourage law enforcement to look “deeply” into her death, suggesting that Mica’s death might not have been strictly related to her mental health.
“There’s got to be some accountability here. Because yeah, a tragic life was lost, and it’s not just as simple as mental health issues,” one of Mica’s friends said.
Others are using the hashtag #justiceformica, while one of Mica’s friends and former Solid Rock congregant, Angela Clark, has said that Mica had moved out of her house, leaving the church she loved, and had hired a lawyer to file divorce.
Clark also described the last text message she said received from Mica hours before Mica was found dead.
“I will not sit here and pretend that I know exactly what happened on Saturday but I know A LOT,” Clark said. “I am well aware, in the past, that Mica had mental health issues and I witnessed her struggle first hand, but I also know that in the last few months this has been used as a WEAPON to control her.”
Her friend shared that Mica was in the midst of “breaking the chains of an abusive marriage” and was moving forward with her life and trusting God.
Clark said that she and her husband Brian had to leave Solid Rock at Market Common because “it was a toxic environment,” a church family they loved.
“We endured relentless attacks from the pastor. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced,” Clark added.
After leaving Solid Rock at Market Common church, Clark said “there were attempts to sabotage us in our new church home. Calls made to employers. Dropping in at my place of business in the middle of my work day when I refused to answer calls.” She emphasized, “The CALLS…More than I can count. Emails that were rants in writing. It was a nightmare for close to a month.”
Clark also said that Mica had “her tires cut multiple times, found multiple trackers on her car, couch hopped in fear of being found, and was hospitalized by her husband when it was completely unnecessary.”
“I talked to her multiple times in her final week here on earth. She was making plans to get her hair cut, getting help with her car payment because she was a little short after PAYING HER DIVORCE LAWYER,” Clark said, “and planning to meet us for the second service at church on Sunday. My final text with her on Friday at 9:19 pm was a woman making plans to live!!!!”
Clark concluded, “She wasn’t having a mental meltdown when the scales were lifted from her eyes and she walked away! SHE WAS A WARRIOR WEARING THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD!!!!”
Mica’s mother said that her daughter also had filed for a “no contact order” in addition to divorce and is asking for financial support to help cover lawyer fees and funeral arrangements.
“My daughter Mica was found Saturday in Lumberton, North Carolina, with a fatal gunshot wound,” Mica’s mother said. “A no contact order and a divorce was filed just days before this tragedy. We are devastated. Prayers appreciated.”
“Sierra, another of my daughters, has set up a simple fundraising link. Law fees are an obstacle for us,” she added. “We are an Air Force family with very limited funds. #JusticeForMica.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Hotline.
***VIDEOS ON LINK*****
[Being depressed and stressed is “looney-tunes”???]
Having to be talked back multiple times from the brink of offing oneself isn’t hunky-dory.
We will be reading about his arrest sooner or later. It sounds like she went through hell because of him.
LOL!!!
Kind of, but the Lutheran potlucks are still much better.
CC
Others are using the hashtag #justiceformica,
Since you guys went for humor, I'll do it too. Did no-one think about the fact that the Formica® Corporation might not take kindly with this hashtag using their registered copyright.
If he gets charged, arrested and it goes to court, it’ll make court tv for sure....they love to cover stuff like this. The more salacious the better.
Salacious was the wrong word
There is absolutely NOTHING funny about this woman’s death. Sorry, but I knew this young woman and am not laughing.
He’s a narcissistic wacko no matter how it ends.
More from Daily Mail.
She died from an allegedly self-inflicted gunshot. Family ain’t buying it.
Thought the same thing...
He did it. He’ll be arrested soon enough. Scumbag.
According to the Daily Mail, “Mica met Miller, 14 years her senior, when she was just 14 years old and a member of his church youth group.”
“Miller, who has a criminal record including multiple counts of aggravated assault and battery to which he pleaded guilty ...”
So many pastors have killed their wives or wives killed the pastor it’s close to being an epidemic.
“...she met her husband in 2009 and the two married in 2017...”
I’m not going to comment about the article in general, but I will say this, something doesn’t pass the smell test.
“Given what forensics is these days”
I retired 25 years ago from the “Forensics” that settled the Charles Linbergh baby-murder.
I’ve never seen American Forensics under legal assault by so many extra-legal firms since OBummer started it all...
As others have said, I wonder what happened to the first wife. I had my first child at 24. I wonder what it was like for 23-year-old Mica being a stepmother of 5 plus her dozen church roles and hours every night talking to her husband?
I can’t find anything about first spouses but I did read that it was the second marriage for both of them.
You have no idea if any of that is true or not.
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