A pastor was abducted at gunpoint in South Africa while preaching a sermon
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A pastor was abducted by armed and masked men as he was preaching a sermon before a congregation in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, police said Friday.
Four men broke into the Fellowship Baptist church in Motherwell Township on Thursday evening, stole two cellphones from members of the congregation and took away the pastor in his own truck, said police, who have now initiated an investigation into abduction and armed robbery.
Local media named the victim as Josh Sullivan, 45, from the U.S. state of Tennessee, but police would not confirm the identification.
According to the Fellowship Baptist church blog, Sullivan, who described himself as a 'church-planting missionary,' his wife Meagan and two children arrived in South Africa in November 2018 to run the Motherwell branch.
An image showing Sullivan preaching behind a pulpit was uploaded on X by a user going by the name of Tom Hatley. Sullivan identifies a man with the same name as his childhood and training pastor on his own blog. Hatley claimed that he was posting on Sullivan's wife's behalf and prayed for a safe return.
A Maryville, Tennessee woman by the name Tonya Rinker, who lists Sullivan as her son in her profile, expressed heartbreak on Facebook and asked for prayers for her son, daughter-in-law and grandkids, adding that the American embassy in South Africa was working on finding him.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge confirmed in a statement that the stolen truck, a silver Toyota Fortuner, was found abandoned in Motherwell a short while after the incident.
Additionally, the police Anti-Gang Unit has now taken over the investigation that was opened by the South African Police Service in Motherwell.
Beetge would not be drawn to give any particulars about the victim but said protocol dictated that once a ransom was demanded, the case would be handed over to the Hawks — a specialized police unit that investigates organized crime, economic crime, corruption, and other serious crimes.
'As I understand, there has been no ransom raised,' said Beetge, urging anyone with information to come forward.
As they await Sullivan's safe return, supporters flocked to the pastor's personal blog site and other social media platforms to offer their well-wishes.
'We are now praying that you delivered from these evil men,' a poster named Richard Stockton said on the church website. 'Praying the Holy Spirit well work on their hearts and be saved. And release you!!!'
Another supporter called Kody Moore said Josh was a 'faithful brother doing much to make Christ known in Africa."
'Please pray for Josh to be brought home safely and especially his family during this absolutely terrible time. May Christ be magnified,' he tweeted on X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
7 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
US imposes sanctions on a Palestinian NGO and other charities, accusing them ties to militant groups
The federal government claims that Addameer 'has long supported and is affiliated' with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a secular, left-wing movement with a political party and an armed wing that has carried out deadly attacks against Israelis. Israel and the United States have labeled the PFLP a terrorist organization. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Addameer did not immediately have a comment on the sanctions. Advertisement Israel has alleged that Addameer funds terrorism, a claim that the United Nations previously said it could not support with compelling evidence. In a 2022 The organization also works with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and is a member of the World Organization Against Torture. Israel's 2022 storming of Addameer's offices, prompted a rebuke from the UN, who said in a statement that Israel had not provided convincing evidence to support the claim. The UN said Addameer was conducting 'critical human rights, humanitarian and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.' Advertisement In February, Zachor Legal Institute, an Israeli-American advocacy group that says it focuses on combatting antisemitism and terrorism, requested Addameer be added to Treasury's sanctions list. Marc Greendorfer, president of Zachor Legal Institute said in an email to the Associated Press that his group is 'very pleased to see Treasury following up on our request.' He said the federal government should act 'to prevent hostile foreign actors from spreading hate and violence in the United States. We applaud Treasury's action and encourage Treasury to expand its focus to the other groups that we identified.' Other entities hit with sanctions Tuesday include: The Gaza-based charity Al Weam Charitable Society and its leader The Turkish charity Filistin Vakfi and its leader El Baraka Association for Charitable and Humanitarian Work and its leader The Netherlands-based Israa Charitable Foundation Netherlands and two employees The Italy-based Associazione Benefica La Cupola d'Oro A Because the majority of crowdfunding activity is legitimate, 'this status can make it more difficult for law enforcement attempting to investigate potential (terrorist financing) cases with a crowdfunding and online fundraising nexus,' the report said. Frankel reported from Jerusalem.
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dunmore man faces gun charge following altercation in borough
A Dunmore man found to be in possession of guns faces a firearm charge after a pair of incidents in the borough early Saturday, police said. Officers were investigating the report of a man assaulted by juveniles in the 300 block of North Blakely Street around 12:43 a.m. They were informed by country dispatchers that a firearm was pointed at a man in the 100 block of West Warren Street — a short distance from the assault call, according to a criminal complaint. While traveling to West Warren Street, an officer stopped three juveniles walking away from the assault scene, later determined to have been involved in the altercation, and transported them to the borough police station, police said. During the drive to the police station, officers were notified of a man walking east on West Pine Street, toward the police station, who was holding a firearm in the road, according to the criminal complaint. Then, after turning on West Pine Street, officers spotted a man walking south on Keystone Court, police said. Two other responding officers exited their patrol car and issued verbal commands to the man — later identified as Zaaki Rosario — who was walking away from them, according to the criminal complaint. A handgun and its magazine fell out of Rosario's waistband when he attempted to zip his hooded sweatshirt after turning around, officers said. Officers were also able to see a rifle underneath his sweatshirt, police said. Rosario fully cooperated with officers once the handgun fell out of his waistband, according to the criminal complaint. When officers were apprehending Rosario, they found he had a Glock 23 handgun, an American .223 long rifle, and a 9mm handgun — later determined to have an illegible, deliberately obliterated serial number, police said. Police charged Rosario, 21, with possession of a firearm with the manufacturer number altered. As of Tuesday, Rosario remained in Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for June 17 at 10:30 a.m.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal immigration raid at Omaha food production plant sparks protests
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Immigration authorities raided at least one Omaha food production plant Tuesday morning, inspiring some small protests, but details about how many workers were affected weren't immediately clear. Omaha police and the Douglas County sheriff said immigration officials had warned them about their plans, and their departments helped block off traffic around the neighborhood where many food production plants are located while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers worked. ICE officials didn't immediately respond to questions. Meatpacking plants rely heavily on immigrant workers who are willing to do the physically demanding work. The industry has not yet been the focus of President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement efforts, but the administration has been intensifying its efforts in recent weeks. Trump called out the National Guard this week to respond to ongoing protests in Los Angeles over his immigration policies. In Omaha, a small group of people came out to protest the raids, and some of them even jumped on the front bumper of a vehicle to try to stop officers. Glenn Valley Foods officials didn't immediately respond to an inquiry from The Associated Press, but WOWT reported that CEO and owner Gary Rohwer said he wasn't made aware of the operation ahead of time and that there was no warrant. 'Of course not. It's a raid,' said Rohwer, whose company makes the Gary's QuickSteak brand of ready-to-grill steak. Federal agents entered the plant around 9 a.m. Tuesday with a list of 97 people they wanted to screen, Rohwer said. He said the company regularly checks the immigration status of employees with the federal E-Verify database. The raids prompted one Douglas County Commissioner to walk out in the middle of a meeting Tuesday to head down to the area he represents in southeast Omaha where the plants are located. Commissioner Roger Garcia and City Councilman Ron Hug both expressed concern about the impact of the raids on families. 'These actions are deeply harmful to the South Omaha community,' Hug said in a statement. 'Not only are they unjust and disruptive, but they also directly undermine the economic stability and growth of District 4 and the broader community.' Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson said his agency is 'not privy to the exact nature of the ICE operation' but that his agency is there to assist with assuring 'peace and safety' of everyone in the area. Asked when he learned of the operation, he said his department received 'respectful and ample notification.' He says he got the notification about a week ago. Margery A. Beck And Josh Funk, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
