American pastor Josh Sullivan, hailing from Tennessee, was abducted by armed assailants in South Africa while delivering a sermon in the Eastern Cape province. The perpetrators stole phones from worshippers, took him from the pulpit, and fled in his pickup truck. Following the abandonment of the vehicle, a task force initiated a search, eventually pinpointing Sullivan’s potential location at a nearby house. A confrontation ensued when suspects fired at officers, resulting in the deaths of three assailants.

Remarkably, Sullivan was found unharmed in the same vehicle used in the attack, in excellent health according to medical evaluations. Serving at the Motherwell branch of the Fellowship Baptist church since 2018, Sullivan, a father of two, has been safely reunited with his family. This incident highlights the concerning rise in kidnappings in South Africa, with a staggering 264% increase over the past decade. The successful rescue of Sullivan serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies in swiftly resolving the harrowing situation.