Who is Pastor Josh Sullivan and what happened to him? US missionary abducted at gunpoint while delivering sermon in South Africa

Josh Sullivan, a US missionary, was abducted at gunpoint while he was delivering a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell in Mambalaza Street, NU10, Gqeberha, South Africa. According to TimesLive's report, the 34-year-old was abducted by four armed and masked men on April 11, around 7 pm.

Jeremy Hall, Sullivan's family spokesperson, told the media outlet that his wife and kids were at the church when the abduction occurred. The unidentified men only targeted Sullivan, not his family. The men took him and his silver Toyota Fortuner. The vehicle was found later.

"They knew his name. The men came into the church and initially held Meagan 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. The car was found a few kilometers away shortly afterward. We are praying for his safe return," the spokesperson said.

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More details on Josh Sullivan's abduction

Josh Sullivan with his wife, Megan Sullivan. (Image via Facebook/@Josh Sullivan)

According to TimesLive, Josh Sullivan is a church planter missionary who establishes new churches in remote/unreachable places. He and his family came to South Africa in 2018 and established the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell.

Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge told the BBC that South Africa's special police unit, the Hawks, is investigating Sullivan's abduction. The elite police unit's spokesman, Lt. Col. Avele Fumba, told the media outlet that they're actively trying to locate Sullivan. He said:

"The police is currently following all possible leads to locate the victim and apprehend the perpetrators."

WVLT reached out to Sullivan's father-in-law, David Witt. He requested everyone to pray for Josh. He also shared that Josh became a missionary after high school.

"We’re asking that everybody pray for Josh. I came out here to ask for prayer. We’re in a really tense situation right now," he said.

Tonya Morton Rinker, Josh Sullivan's mother, made a Facebook post on April 11, saying that her heart was breaking over the news. She requested people to pray for her son's safety. She wrote:

"My heart is breaking, please continue to pray for my son, daughter-in-law, grandkids and our family. They found his van abandoned but Joshua was kidnapped. I know he’s doing God’s work, and I also know he wouldn’t change that."

Christina McMillin and Debra Graham, Josh Sullivan's wife's coworkers at Salon Nouvelle, told the media outlet that the couple never harmed anyone and the abduction was "terrifying." They stated that many people in their community are praying for Sullivan.

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This month, a Chinese national was kidnapped in Gqeberha

According to Novus Media's report (dated April 8), the 38-year-old Chinese national was kidnapped on April 8 while he was returning from the fresh produce market.

The spokesperson of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg, told the media outlet that the kidnappers shot at his vehicle. When the victim stopped his vehicle, three men dragged him out of his car and into a minibus.

"Shots were fired at the vehicle. The driver (victim) of a white Toyota Fortuner came to a stop. Three unknown suspects approached the vehicle, took the victim out of the vehicle and forced him into the minibus and drove off. No one else was injured during the kidnapping," he said.

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Whether Josh Sullivan's kidnappers have asked for ransom has not been reported at the time of writing.