An American pastor, Josh Sullivan, was kidnapped during a church service in South Africa’s Eastern Cape on Thursday evening, according to local authorities.
Sullivan, 45, was leading a service at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, a township in Gqeberha, when four armed and masked men entered the church.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed that the intruders stole two mobile phones and fled the scene in Sullivan’s silver Toyota Fortuner, which was later recovered abandoned. The pastor remains missing.
The case has been transferred to the Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime investigation unit. “We are pursuing all possible leads,” said Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department acknowledged the incident, emphasizing that the safety of American citizens abroad is a top priority.
Family members, including Sullivan’s wife and children, were present during the attack. Jeremy Hall, speaking on behalf of the family, told Newsmen that the assailants appeared to have deliberately targeted Sullivan. “They knew exactly who he was,” Hall said.
Sullivan’s mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, expressed her distress on Facebook, saying she was “heartbroken” and that both the family’s congressman and the U.S. embassy are involved in the search efforts.
At the time of filing this report, the suspected kidnappers have not made ransom demands.
It was gathered that Sullivan has been serving in South Africa since 2018, focusing on ministry work among Xhosa-speaking communities. His abduction comes amid a surge in kidnapping cases across the country, with a reported 264% increase over the last ten years.
Earlier this week, a Chinese national was also kidnapped in Gqeberha, raising further concerns over the region’s safety.
