American church-planting missionary Pastor Josh Sullivan was abducted by an assailant at gunpoint during a prayer meeting at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, South Africa, last Thursday.
Police stated, “It is alleged that while a sermon was conducted at the church, four armed and masked male suspects entered the church.” They reportedly stole two cell phones before taking the pastor with them and fleeing the scene, according to Vanguard.
According to his family’s online biography, Sullivan has served as a missionary in South Africa since 2018. He has been involved with the staff of Fellowship Baptist Church, an independent Baptist church in Maryville, Tennessee, since 2012, where he trained under Pastor Tom Hatley, who has been the couple’s pastor since their childhood.
In an endorsement statement, Hatley mentioned that Josh and Meagan Sullivan have a “tremendous desire to share the gospel with the Xhosa people of South Africa.” The couple’s most recent blog update from March reported the conversion of two women who embraced Christianity, as well as the baptism of two others.
Sullivan expressed excitement about the baptisms, stating, “What makes these baptisms a little more exciting is that both were the first two people baptized who were not directly invited to our church by me or my wife. They were invited by some of our church members, heard the gospel, and were saved. This is what we pray to see more of in the coming year. We are so honored to see God work in the lives of our people. What a great God we serve!”
Local pastor Jeremy Hall told AFP that Sullivan was hosting a prayer meeting for 30 people at his church when the kidnapping occurred. Hall indicated that the motive appeared to be ransom, as the assailants knew Sullivan’s name and were aware of his occupation.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department informed BBC that the agency is aware of the situation involving an American citizen in South Africa. Captain Andre Beetge, a police spokesperson, confirmed Sullivan’s kidnapping to WBIR, stating that the case is being managed by a special kidnapping and ransom unit.
In recent years, South Africa has seen a dramatic rise in kidnappings, with over 17,000 reported in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime attributes this increase to a surge in extortion.
