A US pastor abducted in South Africa has been rescued after a police
shootout
[April 16, 2025]
By MICHELLE GUMEDE
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — An American pastor who was kidnapped last week by
armed and masked men during a sermon in the Eastern Cape province of
South Africa was rescued on Tuesday after three of his abductors engaged
in gunfire with officials and were killed, police reported Wednesday.
The 45-year-old American citizen, Josh Sullivan from Tennessee, has been
based in the Motherwell township branch of the Fellowship Baptist church
since 2018 alongside his wife and two children.
The missionary was abruptly abducted on Thursday evening when four men
broke into the Fellowship Baptist church in Motherwell. They stole two
cellphones from members of the congregation before seizing Sullivan from
the pulpit and bundling him out of the building. His truck was found
abandoned a few hours later.
A multi-agency task force, including the Anti-Gang Unit and the Serious
Organised Crime unit, took over the investigation. On Tuesday night they
approached the location where they suspected Sullivan was being held, a
house in KwaMagxaki, Gqeberha about 20 minutes' drive from the Baptist
church.
According to police, a shootout began when suspects in a car parked
outside the house tried to escape and began firing at them. Three
unidentified suspects were killed, police said.
“The victim was found inside the same vehicle from which the suspects
had launched their attack,” Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba said in a
statement. “Miraculously unharmed, he was immediately assessed by
medical personnel and is currently in an excellent condition.”
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The number of kidnappings in South Africa has risen by 264% over the
past decade, police data showed.
According to the Institute of Security Studies, a think tank
specializing in Africa, kidnapping has become a key tactic in armed
robberies and carjackings. In its latest Africa report, the ISS
notes that less than 5% of kidnappings in South Africa involve
ransom demands.
Since his release, Sullivan, who describes himself as “a
church-planting missionary” on his personal website, has been
reunited with his wife Meagan and their two children.
A man named Tom Hatley, whom Sullivan describes on his personal blog
as his childhood and training pastor, posted a picture of Sullivan
and his family on Facebook. Explaining that he had received “the go
ahead to let it be known”, Hatley said, “Josh has been released.”
“Thank you for your support and prayers. Please do not stop praying
for The Sullivans,” his post read.
“Also, PLEASE respect The Sullivans privacy and their parents. A lot
of folks love The Sullivans, and they love you back, but give them
some time.”
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