American Pastor Kidnapped During Sermon In South Africa

A United States of America missionary, Pastor Josh Sullivan, has been reportedly taken hostage by armed assailants while he was delivering a sermon at a church in South Africa.

Naija News reports that police and a colleague of the pastor confirmed in separate statements on Friday that Sullivan was kidnapped on Thursday at the Fellowship Baptist Church located in Motherwell, near the coastal city of Gqeberha.

This incident is believed to be a ransom-related abduction.

According to a police statement, “It is reported that during the sermon, four armed and masked men entered the church.

“They stole two mobile phones and then abducted the 45-year-old pastor before fleeing the scene.”

Another pastor from the southeastern city, Reverend Jeremy Hall, informed AFP that the kidnapping was likely motivated by financial gain.

Hall noted that Sullivan was leading a prayer meeting attended by around 30 individuals, including his wife and six children, when the four kidnappers entered the premises.

“They were familiar with him by name,” he remarked.

The source further indicated that the assailants threatened the pastor with a firearm, compelled him into his vehicle, and drove away.

The abandoned vehicle was later found approximately 1.5 kilometers (less than a mile) from the church.

Sullivan and his family relocated to South Africa from Tennessee in November 2018, as stated on his personal website.

Additionally, the police anti-gang unit reported that a Chinese national was kidnapped in the city on Tuesday, which is situated on the Indian Ocean and about 920 kilometers (570 miles) southeast of Johannesburg.

In recent years, there has been a reported rise in kidnappings by criminal gangs in South Africa, targeting individuals for substantial ransom amounts.

Police statistics indicate that there were over 17,000 kidnappings in South Africa during the 2023/2024 financial year, marking an 11-percent increase compared to the previous year.