A missionary from the US has been kidnapped in Gqeberha.
Josh Sullivan was allegedly abducted on Thursday evening while delivering a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell in Mambalaza Street, NU10, Motherwell at about 7pm.
The family’s spokesperson Jeremy Hall said on Friday morning that his wife and their children were also at the church when the incident took place but fortunately escaped unharmed.
“They knew his name,” Hall said.
“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.
“The car was found a few kilometres away shortly afterwards.”
He said the family were still shocked by the incident as there had been no warning signs before Thursday night’s incident and no ransom demand had been made since.
“We are just praying for his safe return,” he said.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said the 45-year-old pastor was abducted by four armed and masked men.
“They stole two cellphones and then took the 45-year-old male pastor with them and fled the scene in the pastor’s vehicle.
“The silver Toyota Fortuner was recovered a short while later in Motherwell.”
He said a kidnapping and armed robbery case was opened by SAPS Motherwell and was being investigated by SAPS Anti Gang Unit (AGU).
“Any person with information that could assist police with this investigation can contact the SAPS AGU’s, Detective WO Dudley Ferreira at 082-387-5957 or contact Crime Stop at 08600-10111 to remain anonymous,” Beetge said.
Sullivan is a church planter missionary — a missionary who specialises in establishing new churches, or planting new congregations in areas where there are few or no existing Christian communities — for the Fellowship Baptist Church.
He has been missionary to SA for almost a decade, having moved to SA with his family in November 2018 to establish a church within the Xhosa speaking community.
Together with his wife Meagan, they established the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell and have been working in the community to assist families in a variety of ways.
The Herald
Motherwell missionary pastor kidnapped during church
Image: Supplied
A missionary from the US has been kidnapped in Gqeberha.
Josh Sullivan was allegedly abducted on Thursday evening while delivering a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell in Mambalaza Street, NU10, Motherwell at about 7pm.
The family’s spokesperson Jeremy Hall said on Friday morning that his wife and their children were also at the church when the incident took place but fortunately escaped unharmed.
“They knew his name,” Hall said.
“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.
“The car was found a few kilometres away shortly afterwards.”
He said the family were still shocked by the incident as there had been no warning signs before Thursday night’s incident and no ransom demand had been made since.
“We are just praying for his safe return,” he said.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said the 45-year-old pastor was abducted by four armed and masked men.
“They stole two cellphones and then took the 45-year-old male pastor with them and fled the scene in the pastor’s vehicle.
“The silver Toyota Fortuner was recovered a short while later in Motherwell.”
He said a kidnapping and armed robbery case was opened by SAPS Motherwell and was being investigated by SAPS Anti Gang Unit (AGU).
“Any person with information that could assist police with this investigation can contact the SAPS AGU’s, Detective WO Dudley Ferreira at 082-387-5957 or contact Crime Stop at 08600-10111 to remain anonymous,” Beetge said.
Sullivan is a church planter missionary — a missionary who specialises in establishing new churches, or planting new congregations in areas where there are few or no existing Christian communities — for the Fellowship Baptist Church.
He has been missionary to SA for almost a decade, having moved to SA with his family in November 2018 to establish a church within the Xhosa speaking community.
Together with his wife Meagan, they established the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell and have been working in the community to assist families in a variety of ways.
The Herald
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