Five days after being kidnapped by armed men from his church in Motherwell, South Africa, Tennessee missionary Josh Sullivan was rescued unharmed.
The South African Police Service reported that the confrontation took place at a safe house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha, where the pastor was rescued following a dramatic shootout that resulted in the fatalities of three suspects.
“As officers approached the house, they observed a vehicle on the premises. The suspects inside the vehicle upon seeing law enforcement allegedly attempted to flee and opened fire on the team. The officers responded with tactical precision, leading to a high-intensity shootout in which three unidentified suspects were fatally wounded,” stated the police.
Sullivan was found inside the vehicle from which the suspects launched their attack and was miraculously unharmed. Medical personnel assessed him, and he is in excellent condition.
Sullivan, who leads Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, near Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), was abducted during a sermon at his church on April 10. The kidnappers had demanded an undisclosed ransom.
The kidnapping sparked a global prayer rally beginning with Sullivan’s home congregation at Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, under Pastor Tom Hatley. Hatley celebrated Sullivan’s rescue on Facebook, expressing gratitude while urging continued prayers for Sullivan and his family. “Josh has been released. I just got ‘the go ahead to let it be known,’” Hatley wrote. “Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for The Sullivans. Praise The Lord Jesus Christ!”
According to Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Sullivan and his wife, Meagan, first traveled to South Africa in 2015 for a six-month internship as part of their Bible training. “It was during this time that the Lord began to stir their hearts specifically for the Xhosa people. They returned in 2018 as full-time church planting missionaries, determined to share the Gospel, and see lives changed,” noted the church bio.
Sullivan invested two years in a language school to gain fluency in Xhosa, empowering him to preach, disciple, and minister more effectively. His dedication culminated in the founding of Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, a community the couple has grown deeply attached to. They also welcomed two Xhosa children into their household.
South Africa has faced a significant increase in kidnappings recently, with over 17,000 cases reported in the 2023-2024 fiscal year. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime attributes this rise to a surge in extortion activities.
