American missionary Pastor Josh Sullivan was abducted at gunpoint while leading a prayer meeting at his church in South Africa on Thursday evening. The incident took place at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, near the city of Gqeberha.
According to local police, “four armed and masked male suspects entered the church” during a sermon. “They robbed two cell phones and then took the 45-year-old male pastor with them and fled the scene,” officials stated, according to Vanguard. The pastor’s kidnapping is now being investigated by a special anti-kidnapping and ransom unit known as the Hawks.
Pastor Sullivan, a husband and father of six, has been serving as a missionary to the Xhosa people of South Africa since 2018. He and his wife Meagan were commissioned through Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, and have been dedicated to sharing the gospel in one of the most crime-ridden regions of the world.
“Please pray for Josh Sullivan, missionary to South Africa,” the church wrote on Facebook. “He was kidnapped at gun point by six men during their church service this evening.”
Fellowship Baptist’s longtime pastor, Tom Hatley, praised the couple’s commitment to the mission field, saying Josh and Meagan have a “tremendous desire to share the gospel with the Xhosa people.” Sullivan studied at Macedonia Baptist College in North Carolina and has worked tirelessly to bring the Word of God to those in need.
In a blog post just weeks before the kidnapping, Sullivan celebrated the spiritual fruit of their labor: “They were invited by some of our church members, heard the gospel, and were saved… What a great God we serve!”
Local pastor Jeremy Hall told AFP that the attackers knew Sullivan by name and were aware of his role as a pastor, suggesting the kidnapping was planned and likely ransom-motivated.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed they are “aware of the situation involving an American citizen in South Africa.” Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed the case is now under the control of the country’s elite anti-extortion unit.
Sullivan’s abduction comes amid a shocking rise in kidnappings across South Africa, with over 17,000 reported cases in the 2023–2024 fiscal year, driven largely by organized crime and extortion, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Crime.
While global elites remain silent, brave missionaries like Josh Sullivan continue to risk their lives to spread the gospel. His story is a powerful reminder of the urgent need to defend religious liberty, stand up for persecuted Christians, and call out lawlessness wherever it exists.
