American Missionary Kidnapped At Gunpoint In South Africa While Delivering Sermon

A missionary from the U.S. was kidnapped by masked men in South Africa while delivering a sermon on Thursday evening.

Josh Sullivan, 45, was delivering a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell in Gqeberha, South Africa, when he was abducted at gunpoint, according to CBS News. Sullivan and his family moved from Tennessee to South Africa in 2018, his personal website shares.

A spokesperson from the U.S. State Department told the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation that the department is aware of the reported kidnapping and stressed the importance of American citizens’ safety abroad, but did not have additional information to provide at this time.

“They knew his name,” the family’s spokesperson Jeremy Hall told Herald LIVE about the masked men knew the personal details about the pastor. “We are just praying for his safe return.”

“The men came into the church and initially held Meagan and walked her towards the door before saying ‘Josh is this your wife’,” Hall continued, explaining how the men “pushed” her to the ground before driving off with the missionary in his vehicle. “The car was found a few kilometres away shortly afterwards,” he said.

Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge told the publication that the missionary was abducted by four armed and masked men. He said a kidnapping and armed robbery case was opened by South African Police Service Motherwell and was being investigated by SAPS Anti-Gang Unit (AGU). “The silver Toyota Fortuner was recovered a short while later in Motherwell,” he said.