Shavaun Scott Explains JP Miller’s "Protection" Story

Tony Brueski (0:00)

This is The Big Breakdown, a long look back at some of the biggest stories we're covering for you at the Hidden Killers Podcast and True Crime Today. This is Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski.

Tony Brueski (0:19)

Back in December of 2023, JP Miller was telling reporters that Solid Rock Church boasted 700 members, standing room only. The congregation had already raised a cool million dollars toward a brand new campus on Highway 17 with trees cleared across 28 acres. At the time, the church sat on tax-exempt real estate, a tax-exempt real estate portfolio worth about $5.59 million. That included four properties, a private airplane, at least 11 vehicles and the pastor's personal home. Interestingly, Miller had sold his house to the church for $70,000 below its taxable value, just two months after his wife had filed for divorce and asked for an equal split of their assets.

Fast forward to September of 26 and JP Miller is preaching to maybe 15 or 20 people in a gym or a storage container or a defunct Claire's or a Piggly Wiggly in a shitty mini mall.

Sporting an ankle monitor on his left leg with a federal trial just weeks away, you know, like every good preacher does. Everything collapsed in under two years and most of it went down in six short months. We're going to go over that today. What the hell happened? If you watched the documentary on Netflix, Death of a Pastor's Wife, you're like, what's the story here? Welcome. We got a ton of videos on it. There's a lot of my colleagues who do some great work on it as well. If you want to learn about the horrors that are alleged to be connected with pastor, I put that in air quotes, JPMiller, you're in the right place. Press subscribe so you don't miss any of our coverage of it. Now, to be clear, JPMiller hasn't been charged in connection with MicaMiller's death. Mica was found dead on April 27th, 2024 at Lumber River State Park in North Carolina with a medical examiner ruling it an S from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, in December 25th, a federal grand jury indicted JP on cyberstalking and lying to investigators. He pled not guilty in January 26th, denies any abuse and is headed to trial in October of 26th. JP originally built Solid Rock from the ground up starting in 2006 Well, I mean, kind of built it from the ground up, more like took a lot of his father's followers who left his fucked up land for the allegations that were surrounding him and said, hey, come on over here.

What could possibly go wrong? Ignore everything you've heard. None of it's true. Wink, wink.

I'm not my dad. Wink, wink.

By 2024, his ministry held four tax-exempt properties totaling $5.59 million, funded entirely by weekly tithes from members who were kept completely in the dark about the books. The centerpiece of all of it was a former Air Force chapel at 803 Howard Avenue in Market Common. JP's father, Reginald Wayne Miller, bought it from the military back in 1995 for $280,000 before handing it off to Solid Rock in 2013 for $300,000. All told, the family held onto that building for nearly 30 years. By August 23, Solid Rock snapped up another 28 acres along Highway 17 for $1.2 million. JP pitched grand plans, a massive sanctuary gym, classrooms, a soccer field, back by roughly $1 million in church donations. There were also running Faith First Academy. My God, if you were there as a child, I can't wait for the stories. A private K-9 school with around 55 students out of the same chapel. On top of that, church records revealed a 2007 Sirius SR-22 aircraft valued around $429,000 in at least 11 registered vehicles under the ministry's name. In a sworn custody filing, JP's first wife, Allison Williams, stated that JP gave himself total control over church decisions. Elder Bernard Kenerson backed this up, confirming that even as an ordained elder, he never saw financial records. Everything was run strictly by JP and his spiritual advisor, Charles Randall. Kenerson was left completely in the dark. He had no clue about the airplane, the 11 vehicles, JP transferring his home to the ministry, or the fact that his pastor co-owned a local piano bar. Learning the church dropped $429,000 on an airplane while he served unpaid as a pastor hit Kenerson hard. He described it as really hurtful. Then came the real estate deals. On December 15th at 23, JP transferred his home on Coldwater Circle to Solid Rock for $169,331, roughly 70 grand below fair market value. That happened just two months after Mica filed for divorce and requested half the marital home, leading her family to allege collusion to cut her out. JP was open about his focus on money once preaching in 2021 that it was the most fascinating subject to me in the Bible. He even admitted to checking tithing records when people sought leadership or stepped out of line. Meanwhile, the church enjoyed zero IRS oversight and kept its books completely hidden. You know, like good churches do because the law allows it. The law allows it. The way we have laws set up in this country, the IRS can't fucking touch the churches. Gee, I wonder if those become hotbeds of crime. Nah.