American pastor's kidnapping in South Africa fueled by soaring armed robbery incidents in recent years

The kidnapping of a Tennessee pastor working in South Africa comes amid a soaring kidnapping rate in the country over the last 10 years, fueled by armed robberies.

Josh Sullivan, a 34-year-old Fellowship Baptist Church pastor and missionary working in Motherwell, was allegedly kidnapped by several armed, masked men who broke into his church in the Eastern Cape Province on the evening of April 10, took cellphones from parishioners and drove away with Sullivan in his own truck. 

"The South African Police Service’s (SAPS) annual crime statistics show that in the past decade, kidnappings increased by 264% from 4,692 in 2014/15 to 17,061 in 2023/24," the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Africa said in a December 2024 report. "The most recent quarterly crime stats, released on 25 November [2024], show an ongoing rise."

Most kidnapping incidents over the 2023-2024 time period "were perpetrated during aggravated robberies, such as car or truck hijackings or armed robberies at businesses, homes, or in public spaces," the ISS Africa report reads.

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Josh Sullivan, a 34-year-old pastor from Tennessee, has been kidnapped in South Africa. (Fellowship Baptist Church/Facebook)

The South Africa Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, "wishes to assure the public and media that our top priority at this stage is [the] safe return of the victim," Hawks Lt. Col. Avele Fumba told Fox News Digital.

"Our multidisciplinary team is currently on the ground, following all possible leads to ensure swift resolution," Fumba said. "Investigation is ongoing and treated with [up]most urgency."

Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakhuvana told South African news outlet IOL that the suspects who kidnapped Sullivan demanded a ransom.

"In response to the incident, a multidisciplinary task team consist[ing] of various police specialised [sic] units was activated. The joint team is currently following all possible leads to locate the victim and apprehend the perpetrators. A ransom was demanded by the suspects," Mhlakhuvana told IOL.

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The South African Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, urged anyone with information to come forward, saying "all information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality," IOL reported.

The ISS Africa report notes that less than 5% of kidnappings in South Africa involve ransom demands.

Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn told Fox News Digital in a statement that her "prayers are with Pastor Sullivan’s family and those working tirelessly to rescue him from these vicious criminal gangs."

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"I have been in touch with the State Department and submitted an inquiry with the embassy in South Africa, and they are working to assist this family any way they can," Blackburn said.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said she is in touch with the State Department regarding Joshua Sullivan's kidnapping in South Africa. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)

Bobby McDonald, a lecturer in criminal justice at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, told Fox News Digital that it seems like missionaries working "in different countries, whether it's in African countries or South American countries, a lot of times they are walking into situations where there are heavily gang-related activity or the desire to... do harm to people who are from different countries … trying to make a difference."

"South Africa, over the years — and I've been there once — you can be in a very well-to-do neighborhood in South Africa and moments later be in an underdeveloped or underprivileged neighborhood — the shanty towns that we've seen in the past coming out of apartheid," he said. "There are a lot of different areas … slightly off the beaten path, and you can find yourself in a situation that's gonna potentially cause some harm to you and your family."

Tom Hatley, pastor at Fellowship Baptist Church, told Fox News' Madison Scarpino that Sullivan was in a prayer meeting Thursday when "somebody came in, and then others followed him, and they asked for him by name and then, and long story short, they took him at gunpoint."

"It was something that we all knew could happen there, but we always hoped and prayed that it would not," Hatley said.

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He added that Fellowship Baptist leaders "expected Josh to be returned that Thursday night, and when he was not, we hoped that he would be returned that Friday morning. But things have just not worked out that way."

Joshua Sullivan, a Tennessee pastor doing missionary work in South Africa, was kidnapped on April 10. (Facebook)

Sullivan remains "cool and calm" and is "handling" the situation, Hatley said. 

In a live discussion posted by Sullivan's home church in Tennessee, Fellowship Baptist Church, four months ago, Sullivan and his wife recounted stories of being robbed in South Africa. They have spent a total of six years in the country and planted a new church in Motherwell in 2021.

"Robbing is a very common occurrence. It’s super common," Sullivan said in the video.

His wife then recounted a time when she was robbed of a new iPhone.

"The crime doesn’t stem from gangs. There’s gangs…but that’s not where the crime stems from," she told the church, adding that many locals "can’t put food on the table."

Josh Sullivan has a passion for sports and used to be a champion high school football player. (Facebook)

"They’re really just looking for money to live off of," she said.

McDonald noted that "a little bit of money in certain areas can be a lot of money" in others. 

"Maybe this is something that's going on quite heavily in that area, and there may be other kidnappings down the road from these gangs. … It'll be interesting to see how the South African authorities want to handle this," he said. "It's never good when anybody's kidnapped. It's even worse when missionaries from other countries are kidnapped."

Sullivan's mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, described Sullivan's "humor and wit" as a "blessing."

"[H]e’s always ready with a joke, and forever seeking to make people laugh," she said in a statement. "He's an exceptional father, husband, and son, embodying kindness, strength and generosity. He has a servants heart, a kind compassionate spirit and is filled with selflessness. He has a burden for lost souls and has devoted his life to serving God in South Africa. I pray for his safe return, filled with faith and assurance."

Missionary Mark Coffey described Sullivan in a Facebook post as "a kind, big-hearted, gentle giant."

Josh Sullivan's family are pleading for answers after his April 10 kidnapping. (Facebook)

"Originally from Maryville, Tennessee, Josh is 34 years old and a member of Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, where Pastor Tom Hatley is his pastor," Coffey said. "Growing up, Josh developed a deep love for sports and was a standout football player at Maryville High School, where he was part of three state championship teams. That same passion and discipline now fuel his heart for missions and ministry. Josh and his wife, Meagan, first came to South Africa in 2015 for a six-month internship as part of their Bible training."

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Coffey continued: "It was during this time that the Lord began to stir their hearts specifically for the Xhosa people. They returned in 2018 as full-time church planting missionaries, determined to share the Gospel and see lives changed. Josh committed himself to two years of language school and became fluent in Xhosa so he could preach, disciple, and minister more effectively. That dedication led to the planting of Fellowship Baptist Church in the township of Motherwell—a community that has become home to their hearts."

The Sullivans have also taken in two Xhosa children to raise along with their own children.