US Pastor Abducted at Gunpoint During Church Service in South Africa
Multiple men burst into a church service and kidnapped an American pastor at gunpoint last Thursday, according to statements from police and congregants.
Pastor and Missionary Josh Sullivan was leading a prayer meeting for around 30 people at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell last week when multiple masked and armed men entered the church.
Brandishing weapons, the assailants stole several cell phones from congregants and led Sullivan away, all the while his wife and six children looked on.
Witnesses say they addressed him by name, indicating they likely knew who he was and it was not a random attack.
Along with his missionary work, Sullivan was on staff at Fellowship Baptist Church, a small independent Baptist church in Wartburg, TN. The church did not address it much during their service yesterday, only briefly mentioning in passing that he needed prayer.
While the kidnapping is believed to be financially motivated, no demands have yet emerged. Sullivan’s wife, Megan, asked folks to pray for her husband, saying in a statement:
“I just want to say thank you for the outpouring of love and prayers. We beg you to continue storming the throne room until Josh is safe at home.”
More than 17,000 people are kidnapped each year in the country, which has been marked by extreme violence and political instability.