American Missionary Rescued in South Africa After Violent Kidnapping Incident

An American pastor who was kidnapped last week during a sermon in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province has been safely rescued, authorities confirmed Wednesday. The dramatic rescue came after a gunfight between police and the abductors, resulting in the deaths of three suspects.

Josh Sullivan, a 45-year-old missionary from Tennessee, has been living in the Motherwell township and serving at the local branch of Fellowship Baptist Church since 2018 with his wife and two children.

The abduction occurred last Thursday, when four armed, masked men stormed the church. They stole two mobile phones from members of the congregation before forcibly removing Sullivan from the pulpit and taking him away. His vehicle was discovered abandoned just a few hours later.

The case was swiftly taken up by a multi-agency task force, including the Anti-Gang Unit and the Serious Organised Crime Unit. Their investigation led them to a residence in KwaMagxaki, located in the city of Gqeberha about 20 minutes from the church.

Authorities said the operation escalated on Tuesday night when suspects in a vehicle parked outside the suspected hideout attempted to flee while opening fire on officers. All three suspects in the car were killed during the exchange.

“The victim was found inside the same vehicle from which the suspects had launched their attack,” Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba stated. “Miraculously unharmed, he was immediately assessed by medical personnel and is currently in an excellent condition.”

South Africa has seen a sharp increase in kidnappings, with police data showing a 264% rise over the last ten years. The Institute of Security Studies reports that while kidnapping is increasingly used in armed robberies and carjackings, fewer than 5% of such cases involve ransom demands.

Since being rescued, Sullivan—who identifies as “a church-planting missionary” on his personal website has reunited with his wife Meagan and their two children. A man named Tom Hatley, described by Sullivan on his blog as the pastor who trained him, shared a photo of the family on Facebook, writing: “Josh has been released.”

“Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying for the Sullivans,” his message read.


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