Authorities launch urgent search as U.S. embassy intervenes
An American pastor, Josh Sullivan, has been kidnapped by armed men during a church service in Motherwell, Gqeberra, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, according to police reports.
The 45-year-old pastor was leading a service at Fellowship Baptist Church on Thursday evening when four armed, masked men stormed the building, stole two phones, and fled the scene in his silver Toyota Fortuner. While the vehicle was later found abandoned, Pastor Sullivan remains missing.
South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, has taken over the case and says it is following all possible leads to locate Sullivan and apprehend the suspects.
The U.S. State Department confirmed it is aware of the kidnapping and emphasized that ensuring the safety of American citizens abroad is a top priority. Sullivan’s family spokesperson, Jeremy Hall, said the kidnappers appeared to know Sullivan personally, but no ransom demand has been made so far.
Pastor Sullivan, who moved to South Africa in 2018 to establish a church for Xhosa-speaking communities, describes himself as a “church planting missionary.” His mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, shared her heartbreak online, adding that U.S. congressional officials and the American embassy are actively working on the case.
South Africa has seen a surge in kidnappings in recent years, with police statistics showing a 264% increase over the past decade.
Source: BBC