Authorities in South Africa are searching for American missionary Pastor Josh Sullivan after he was forcibly taken by armed men during a church service near the coastal city of Gqeberha on Thursday night.
Sullivan, who was preaching at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, was abducted at gunpoint in front of roughly 30 congregants, including his wife and six children, according to a fellow pastor, Rev. Jeremy Hall. “They knew him by name,” Hall told AFP, suggesting the abduction was likely “financially related.”
Local police said four masked and armed suspects stormed into the church during the sermon, robbed two cellphones, and “then took the 45-year-old male pastor with them and fled the scene.” Sullivan was forced into his own car, which was later discovered abandoned about a mile away.
Kidnappings, often carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransoms, have seen a sharp rise in South Africa in recent years. Official police statistics report over 17,000 kidnappings across the country in the 2023-2024 financial year—an 11 percent increase from the previous year.
Pastor Sullivan has been living in South Africa since 2018 after relocating from Tennessee. On his personal blog, he had written, “We are looking to finish language school soon and plant a church to the Xhosa speaking people.” Prior to that, he had served on staff at Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, since February 2012.
The US State Department acknowledged awareness of an American citizen’s abduction in South Africa, though further details were not disclosed.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge noted that if a ransom is officially demanded, the case would be turned over to the Hawks, a specialized police unit focused on organized and economic crimes. “As I understand, there has been no ransom raised,” Beetge said, urging the public to come forward with any information.
Back in the United States, Sullivan’s home church called for prayers in a Facebook post: “Please pray for Josh Sullivan, missionary to South Africa.” Messages of support also poured in across social media.
“We are now praying that you delivered from these evil men,” Richard Stockton wrote on the church website. “Praying the Holy Spirit well work on their hearts and be saved. And release you!!!”
“Josh is a faithful brother doing much to make Christ known in Africa,” tweeted Kody Moore on X. “Please pray for Josh to be brought home safely and especially his family during this absolutely terrible time. May Christ be magnified.”
Meanwhile, the region has seen other kidnapping incidents as well. Just days earlier, a Chinese national was reportedly abducted in the same city. South Africa continues to struggle with rampant gun violence, with 33 people losing their lives to firearms daily, according to Gun Free South Africa, an anti-gun violence nonprofit.
As the investigation unfolds, law enforcement agencies are working urgently to locate Sullivan and secure his safe return.
Sullivan, who was preaching at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, was abducted at gunpoint in front of roughly 30 congregants, including his wife and six children, according to a fellow pastor, Rev. Jeremy Hall. “They knew him by name,” Hall told AFP, suggesting the abduction was likely “financially related.”
Local police said four masked and armed suspects stormed into the church during the sermon, robbed two cellphones, and “then took the 45-year-old male pastor with them and fled the scene.” Sullivan was forced into his own car, which was later discovered abandoned about a mile away.
Kidnappings, often carried out by criminal gangs seeking ransoms, have seen a sharp rise in South Africa in recent years. Official police statistics report over 17,000 kidnappings across the country in the 2023-2024 financial year—an 11 percent increase from the previous year.
Pastor Sullivan has been living in South Africa since 2018 after relocating from Tennessee. On his personal blog, he had written, “We are looking to finish language school soon and plant a church to the Xhosa speaking people.” Prior to that, he had served on staff at Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, since February 2012.
The US State Department acknowledged awareness of an American citizen’s abduction in South Africa, though further details were not disclosed.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge noted that if a ransom is officially demanded, the case would be turned over to the Hawks, a specialized police unit focused on organized and economic crimes. “As I understand, there has been no ransom raised,” Beetge said, urging the public to come forward with any information.
Back in the United States, Sullivan’s home church called for prayers in a Facebook post: “Please pray for Josh Sullivan, missionary to South Africa.” Messages of support also poured in across social media.
“We are now praying that you delivered from these evil men,” Richard Stockton wrote on the church website. “Praying the Holy Spirit well work on their hearts and be saved. And release you!!!”
“Josh is a faithful brother doing much to make Christ known in Africa,” tweeted Kody Moore on X. “Please pray for Josh to be brought home safely and especially his family during this absolutely terrible time. May Christ be magnified.”
Meanwhile, the region has seen other kidnapping incidents as well. Just days earlier, a Chinese national was reportedly abducted in the same city. South Africa continues to struggle with rampant gun violence, with 33 people losing their lives to firearms daily, according to Gun Free South Africa, an anti-gun violence nonprofit.
As the investigation unfolds, law enforcement agencies are working urgently to locate Sullivan and secure his safe return.
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