U.S. Missionary Kidnapped at Gunpoint Whereas Preaching in South Africa
4/11/2025 South Africa (Worldwide Christian Concern) — Josh Sullivan, a U.S. Baptist missionary, was kidnapped at gunpoint as he preached Thursday night at Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, South Africa.
In response to police, 4 masked gunmen entered the church late final evening throughout a prayer assembly with about 30 attendees. The assailants robbed two cell telephones earlier than abducting the 45-year-old pastor and taking him in his personal car, a silver Toyota Fortuner. The automotive was later discovered deserted a few mile from the church.
Sullivan, a husband and father of six, has been a missionary in South Africa since 2018. Sullivan and his household are members of Fellowship Baptist Church, an unbiased Baptist church in Maryville, Tennessee, the place Sullivan has been on employees. His spouse and kids are amongst those that witnessed the kidnapping.
Whereas some studies recommend the kidnapping might have been financially motivated, the attackers focused the preacher and have been effectively conscious of his vocation. The gunmen reportedly knew Sullivan by title. The church additionally confronted threats of being burned down on the finish of 2024.
The South African Police Service’s Anti-Gang Unit is investigating the kidnapping. The U.S. Embassy in South Africa can be conscious of the scenario and is monitoring developments.
Sullivan and his spouse planted Fellowship Baptist Church on Aug. 1, 2021, with the mission to offer a church for the Xhosa-speaking folks of South Africa. In response to a latest submit on the Sullivans’ weblog, solely 5 church buildings that preach within the Xhosa language exist for the practically 10 million Xhosa-speaking folks in South Africa.
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The submit Breaking InformationU.S. Missionary Kidnapped at Gunpoint Whereas Preaching in South Africa appeared first on Worldwide Christian Concern.
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