- Armed men stormed a Gqeberha church and kidnapped Pastor Josh Sullivan while he preached to the congregation.
- His wife and children were there when it happened but were not hurt. No ransom demand has been made.
A US missionary was kidnapped while preaching at a church in Gqeberha on Thursday evening.
Josh Sullivan, a pastor from Tennessee, was grabbed in front of his family and the congregation at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell.
Family spokesperson Jeremy Hall said: “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,” he said.
Sullivan’s silver Toyota Fortuner was found abandoned a few kilometres away in Motherwell.
Hall said Sullivan’s wife and children were not hurt. “We are just praying for his safe return,” he said.
He said there were no signs of danger before the incident, and the kidnappers had not contacted the family since.
Police confirmed they are investigating the kidnapping and a robbery case. Two cellphones were also taken during the attack.
Captain Andre Beetge said the case is being handled by the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit.
Anyone with information can contact Detective Warrant Officer Dudley Ferreira at 082-387-5957 or Crime Stop at 08600-10111.
In a separate incident earlier this week, a Chinese businessman was kidnapped on the M19 in Gqeberha.
The man was driving his white Toyota Fortuner from the fresh produce market to his business in Kariega around 5:39am on Tuesday when he was attacked.
Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said three armed men blocked his path with a minibus, fired shots at his car, and forced him out before driving away with him in the minibus.
Pictured above: Pastor Josh Sullivan.
Image source: Facebook
