Tennessee church planting missionary Josh Sullivan’s brush with death came when he was abducted from an evening service in Motherwell, Gqeberha. Luckily, South African Police Service saved him, and he came out “incredibly unscathed.” The shooting, which took place on a Thursday, would begin a long and tense ordeal for Sullivan’s family and community.
Sullivan is now on the ground in South Africa, where he’s been since 2018. His desire is to finish language school and plant a church for the Xhosa-speaking people. It is believed that unknown assailants abducted him while he was at a local church. They drove him out to a house in KwaMagxaki, another township in the city.
As soon as authorities received credible intelligence about Sullivan’s location, her police escort moved in rapidly to carry out the rescue. After a re-homed, special forces rescue team was dropped on scene, things boiled over into a heavy-duty gunfight. During this encounter, three unnamed assailants were shot and killed.
Amid the tumultuous events, law enforcement was able to find Sullivan within a vehicle on scene. Unbelievably, despite the fall, he suffered no physical injuries and as of now, is said to be doing very well.
The surge of kidnappings in South Africa—it is indeed a huge escalating crisis—this is a terrible trend. Recent numbers reported by the press say that this country is now going through an average of 51 of these abductions a day. This attack comes just two months after the shocking murder of internationally acclaimed Islamic cleric Muhsin Hendricks in Bethelsdorp. It sheds light on the concerning uptick in violence connected to these crimes.
When Sullivan, a protégé of veteran rescuer Tom Hatley, declared this one a successful rescue, he couldn’t have been happier with the results.
“I just got ‘the go ahead to let it be known,’” – Tom Hatley
Hatley went on to urge privacy for Sullivan and his family as they enter this period of healing.
“Also, PLEASE respect The Sullivans’ privacy and their parents. A lot of folks love The Sullivans and they love you back, but give them some time,” – Tom Hatley
News of the alleged kidnapper’s capture underscores the importance of law enforcement in fighting the increasing number of kidnappings in the area. With Sullivan’s safe return, hope is restored in the community. We deeply appreciate its message to all of us to remain alert and have each other’s backs during these dark times and appalling trends.
