Josh Sullivan, a 45-year-old pastor at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, was taken by armed men during Thursday night's service. Authorities are currently investigating leads.
Pastor Abducted During Worship Service in Eastern Cape
Pastor Abducted During Worship Service in Eastern Cape
An American pastor has been kidnapped from a church service in South Africa, prompting urgent police action.
An incident unfolded at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, Gqeberra, when four armed men stormed the worship service, taking Josh Sullivan, an American pastor residing in South Africa since 2018. According to police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge, the assailants stole personal belongings, including two cell phones, before fleeing in Sullivan's silver Toyota Fortuner. Although the vehicle was later found abandoned, there has been no sign of Sullivan.
The US State Department is aware of the situation and has prioritized the safety of its citizens abroad. Investigations have been delegated to South Africa's elite police unit, the Hawks, which specializes in significant organized crimes and corruption. "We are pursuing all possible leads in this case," stated Hawks spokesman Lt Col Avele Fumba.
Jeremy Hall, representing Sullivan's family, revealed that his wife and children were present during the incident, emphasizing that the kidnappers appeared to know Sullivan personally. His mother expressed her heartbreak via social media and noted that local congressional members and the American embassy are actively assisting in the search for her son. Notably, no ransom has yet been demanded, as reported by News24.
Sullivan is described as a "church planting missionary" on his website, indicating his move to establish a church for the local Xhosa-speaking community. Kidnappings in South Africa have surged over the past decade, rising by 264% according to police statistics. Just days earlier, there was another kidnapping involving a foreign national in the same region.
