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An American pastor, Josh Sullivan, has been kidnapped during a church service in South Africa, prompting a high-level investigation by local authorities and involvement from the U.S. government.
Sullivan, 45, was leading a service at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, a township in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), Eastern Cape, on Thursday evening when four armed and masked men stormed the building, police spokesperson Captain André Beetge said.
The suspects reportedly stole two mobile phones before fleeing in Sullivan’s silver Toyota Fortuner — with the pastor inside. The vehicle was later found abandoned, but there was no sign of Sullivan.
The U.S. State Department confirmed they are aware of the abduction, saying there is “no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad.”
South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, has taken over the investigation.
Family friend and spokesperson Jeremy Hall, who was present during the incident, told the media that Sullivan’s attackers appeared to have specifically targeted him.
Sullivan’s mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, shared her heartbreak on social media, noting that both their U.S. congressman and the American embassy were actively involved in efforts to locate her son.
As of now, no ransom demands have been made, according to the press.
Sullivan, who describes himself as a “church-planting missionary,” moved to South Africa in 2018 with his wife and children to establish a church among Xhosa-speaking communities.
The incident comes amid a sharp rise in kidnappings across South Africa, with police data showing a staggering 264% increase over the past decade. Just days earlier, a Chinese national was also abducted in Gqeberha, raising concerns about growing insecurity in the region.
