American Pastor Kidnapped During South Africa Church Service
Police are searching for an American pastor who was kidnapped at gunpoint in South Africa Thursday night, leaving his wife and children watching helplessly as armed men dragged him from the pulpit.
Josh Sullivan, 45, from Maryville, Tennessee, was delivering an evening sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, a township near the coastal city of Gqeberha, when four masked men burst into the church. The attackers stole two cellphones from church members before forcing Sullivan into his own vehicle and fleeing the scene, according to local police.
“The vehicle was later found abandoned,” said Colonel Priscilla Naidu, a spokesperson for the South African Police Service’s Eastern Cape division. “A multi-disciplinary team has been assembled to investigate the kidnapping.”
Sullivan, who moved to South Africa in 2018, had been working to establish a church serving the Xhosa-speaking community. A father of six, he previously served as a youth pastor at Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, before answering what he called “God’s call to missions” on his church website.
“We’re devastated and asking for prayers,” said Rebecca Thompson, Sullivan’s sister, speaking from Tennessee. “Josh has given his life to serving others, and we’re praying for his safe return to his family.”
The attack comes as South African churches face unprecedented violence. The Council for the Protection of Religious Institutions in South Africa reported 27 armed attacks on churches in the Eastern Cape province alone since January.
The U.S. Embassy in Pretoria confirmed they are working with South African authorities. “The safety of U.S. citizens abroad is our highest priority,” said embassy spokesperson Sarah Mitchell. “We are in close contact with local law enforcement and the Sullivan family.”
The incident occurs against a backdrop of broader security concerns in South Africa. The country’s recent land reform legislation has heightened tensions, particularly regarding farm ownership and property rights. Recent missionary kidnappings have raised concerns about the safety of foreign religious workers in Africa, while retired FBI agents advise that “slowing things down” is key to ensuring Sullivan’s safe return.
Police have urged anyone with information to contact the SAPS Anti-Kidnapping Task Force or Crime Stop.
–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice
