April 13, 2025, Sunday In Motherwell, Gqeberra, South Africa, four armed assailants abducted 45-year-old American pastor Josh Sullivan during a prayer session he was conducting at the nearby Fellowship Baptist Church on Thursday night.
A representative representing Sullivan’s family, Jeremy Hall, was there when the kidnapping occurred. He claimed that the abductors knew his name. He told the Associated Free Press that he thought money had anything to do with the kidnapping. Two cell phones were also taken during the kidnappings, according to the police.
After forcing Sullivan inside his own Toyota Fortuner at gunpoint, the assailants fled with him. Although Sullivan’s whereabouts were unknown, authorities later discovered the car abandoned about a mile from the scene of the kidnapping.
According to the US State Department, they knew of the issue. The Hawks, South Africa’s elite police team that specializes in organized crime, have been placed to the forefront of the inquiry, Police Captain Andre Beetge told the BBC.
Sullivan’s colleague claimed that although no ransom had yet been posted, the kidnapping was one of ransom. WVLT reported that Sullivan’s family was given evidence that he was still alive and that negotiations were underway between the FBI and the US Embassy. The father-in-law of Sullivan called it a “very difficult scenario.” The sermon was in attended by roughly 30 persons.
