Keypoints:
- Armed men abduct US pastor mid-service
- Police and US officials launch investigation
- No ransom demand made, car found abandoned
SOUTH African authorities are investigating the kidnapping of an American pastor who was taken by armed men during a church service in the Eastern Cape province.
Josh Sullivan, 45, was conducting an evening service at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, Gqeberha, when four masked gunmen stormed the building, according to police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge.
As reported by the BBC, the suspects stole two mobile phones and then forced Pastor Sullivan into his silver Toyota Fortuner before fleeing the scene. The vehicle was later found abandoned, but there has been no trace of the pastor himself.
The case has now been handed over to South Africa’s elite anti-crime unit, the Hawks, which specialises in organised crime and high-level investigations.
‘The police is currently following all possible leads to locate the victim and apprehend the perpetrators,’ said Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba.
US authorities monitoring closely
The US State Department confirmed to the BBC that it is aware of the incident, stating there is ‘no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad.’
Jeremy Hall, a family spokesperson, told South African outlet TimesLive that Sullivan had been with his wife and children at the church during the attack. He added that the kidnappers ‘knew his name’, suggesting the act may have been targeted.
Sullivan’s mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, expressed her anguish on social media, writing on Facebook: ‘Our congressman and American embassy are working on finding him. I’m heartbroken.’
According to local news source News24, no ransom has been demanded by the kidnappers, and the motive for the abduction remains unclear.
Pastor’s mission in South Africa
Josh Sullivan describes himself as ‘a church planting missionary’ on his personal website, where he shares his journey of relocating to South Africa in 2018 with his wife and children. The family has focused on building a church community among the Xhosa-speaking population in the region.
Over the past decade, kidnappings in South Africa have surged by over 260%, according to national police statistics cited by BBC sources.
Gqeberha, where the abduction occurred, has seen a number of recent kidnapping cases, including that of a Chinese national just days earlier.
Ongoing investigation and public concern
The incident has sparked alarm among both local residents and the international community. Religious leaders and human rights organisations are calling for swift action to secure the pastor’s release and improve safety for missionaries and foreign nationals working in high-risk areas.
So far, there has been no public claim of responsibility, and the identity of the perpetrators remains unknown.
The Hawks are urging anyone with information to come forward, as search efforts intensify across the Eastern Cape and beyond.
