An American pastor was kidnapped at gunpoint during a sermon in South Africa on Thursday night, when a group of masked gunmen stormed his church and abducted him in front of his family and congregation.
45-year-old Josh Sullivan, from Tennessee, was preaching at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell when four armed men entered the building. The abduction took place as Sullivan was preaching in front of the roughly 30 churchgoers including his wife and six children.
The attackers stole two cell phones from members of the congregation before forcing Sullivan into his own truck and driving away. The vehicle was later found abandoned roughly half a mile from the scene, police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said. The case is now being investigated by the Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime unit focused on organized crime and other serious offenses.
“The police is currently following all possible leads to locate the victim and apprehend the perpetrators,” Hawks spokesman Lt. Col. Avele Fumba said, according to the BBC.
Reverend Jeremy Hall, a pastor based in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and a spokesman for the Sullivan family, witnessed the incident unfold and said the gunmen appeared to know Sullivan by name.
“They knew his name,” Hall explained to TimesLive. “The men came into the church and initially held Megan and walked her towards the door before saying, ‘Josh, is this your wife?’ They then pushed her to the ground and took Josh before driving off in his vehicle.”
Authorities said no ransom demand has been made. Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Sullivan moved to South Africa with his family in November 2018 to start a church for Xhosa-speaking people. He had been on staff at Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville since 2012.
“Please pray for Josh Sullivan, missionary to South Africa,” Fellowship Baptist Church said in a social media post on Thursday.
Sullivan’s wife, Megan, issued a statement Saturday night, expressing gratitude for the community’s support.
“I just want to say thank you for the outpouring of love and prayers,” she said.
“We beg you to continue storming the throne room until Josh is safe at home,” she added, according to CBS News.
