Alleged Goolwa South arsonist revealed as speaker at exclusive Christadelphian religious group

The teen allegedly behind a fire at a beachfront house in Goolwa has been identified as a religious speaker from NSW.

• ‘Scared the sh*tter out of me’
• ‘Bizarre stunt’ behind $900k fire, court told

The teen allegedly behind a fire that destroyed a beachfront house at Goolwa South has been revealed as a preacher of the exclusive Christadelphian religious group in NSW.

In a video posted to YouTube in August 2024, Micah Gilham, is seen leading a Sunday evening Bible study class at the Riverwood Christadelphian Ecclesia.

Listed as “Bro. Micah Gilham” in the video’s description, it has since been made private after the Sunday Mail contacted Mr Gilham’s lawyer for comment.

The speech is on the “promise of Noah”, and how it can be applied in today’s world.

Mr Gilham makes a parallel between people of faith being outnumbered by those who have turned away from religion, similar to that of today.

Footage of Micah Gilam preaching. Picture: YouTube

Yet, unlike the story of Noah, in which mankind was destroyed by a great flood, Mr Gilham argues those of faith will be saved.

“God is no longer present in the hearts of men and they are completely unaware,” he said.

“Like God saved Noah so to will there be a remnant saved in the Second Coming.”

It is understood that Christadelphian congregations operate without a centralised organised structure, with no priests, monks, paid ministers or central leadership.

Instead, members of the congregation take turns to lead the group in worship – as opposed to a permanent preacher – with a committee responsible for the day-to-day running of the ecclesia.

Mr Gilham faced the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with arson after police say his reunion with a group of friends at the Goolwa South beach house turned into chaos.

The video of Micah Gilham was made private on YouTube after the Sunday Mail contacted his lawyer. Picture: YouTube

The court heard Mr Gilham – who flew to SA from NSW for the reunion – was trying to set a golf club alight and swing it across the sand dunes, when a fuel can caught fire, spilt, and spread.

The two-storey $900,000 beach house, which belonged to the grandfather of one of the friends at the reunion, was completely gutted by the fierce fire late Tuesday night.

Mr Gilham’s father was present in court having flown over from NSW, but offered no comment after his son’s appearance.

A former neighbour to the property said large groups – well in excess of the 14 person capacity listed on its Airbnb advertisement – would stay at the beach house including church groups.

“The big groups would come, there’d be 15 or 20 cars parked all over the place and sometimes they would have had as many as 30 people here with church groups and things,” he said.

“They would sit out the back and carry on and then they would also occupy with tents on the vacant lot across the street.”

The man, who did not want to be named and sold his house about four years ago, said the church groups were more common years ago, and less so recently.

Mr Gilham was granted bail and will face Adelaide Magistrates Court in April next year.