<p>An American serving as a missionary in South Africa was kidnapped at gunpoint by a group of men during a church service in Motherwell, just outside the city of Gqeberha, on Thursday.</p>
<p>Josh Sullivan, a Tennessee native, was preaching a sermon at Fellowship Baptist Church when four masked men armed with firearms stormed into the church, robbed people of their cell phones, and abducted the 45-year-old missionary, according to police, The Straits Times <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/us-pastor-abducted-at-gunpoint-during-sermon-in-south-africa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Around 30 people were at the church service, including Sullivan&#8217;s wife and six children, when the kidnappers entered the building. No one else was harmed, and only Sullivan was taken captive.</p>
<p>The captors reportedly sped away with Sullivan in his silver Toyota Forerunner. The missionary&#8217;s vehicle was later found abandoned. The U.S. State Department told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y6xq4ex1ro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> on Friday that it is aware of Sullivan&#8217;s kidnapping and added that there is no &#8220;greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens abroad.&#8221;</p>
<p>Reverend Jeremy Hall, who also pastors in the Gqeberha area, said the kidnapping was likely &#8220;financially related,&#8221; but there is some concern that Sullivan was targeted for his faith. The kidnappers reportedly knew Sullivan&#8217;s name when they entered the church, and Fellowship Baptist Church was the target of threats last year, according to human rights group International Christian Concern.</p>
<p>Sullivan and his family moved to South Africa in 2018 and planted Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell in 2021. The church is a sister church of Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Tennessee, where the Sullivans were members before going to the mission field. In the Sullivans&#8217; most recent prayer letter <a href="https://sullivansinsouthafrica.weebly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a>, which was published on March 3, the missionaries said they had just visited fellow missionaries in Mozambique, adding that the &#8220;trip was a wonderful opportunity to see another African country and grow our burden for the African people.&#8221;</p>
<p>Kidnappings have spiked in South Africa over the past decade, jumping 264%, according to the BBC. In 2023-2024, there were more than 17,000 kidnappings in the country. Just two days before Sullivan was taken by armed men, a Chinese national was kidnapped in Gqeberha, according to police.</p>

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American Missionary Kidnapped At Gunpoint During Church Service

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American Missionary Kidnapped At Gunpoint During Church Service