Overview

• Josh Sullivan, a 45-year-old U.S. pastor, was kidnapped by four armed and masked men during a sermon at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, South Africa, on April 10, 2025.
• The assailants robbed two cell phones from congregants and forced Sullivan into his vehicle, which was later found abandoned near the church.
• South African law enforcement, including the SAPS Anti-Gang Unit and Hawks, are actively investigating the case, but no ransom demand has been made public so far.
• Sullivan, who moved to South Africa in 2018 with his family to establish a church, was abducted in front of his wife and six children during a prayer meeting attended by about 30 people.
• The incident highlights a growing trend of financially motivated kidnappings in South Africa, where such crimes have risen by 11% in the past year, according to police statistics.