Armed kidnappers dragged a priest from the pulpit at gunpoint, forcing him down the aisle in front of horrified worshippers.
Pastor Josh Sullivan, 45, was kidnapped in front of his wife and children, as well as up to 50 members of his congregation, during a sermon in South Africa.
His terrified family watched in horror as the father was pushed out of the church with a pistol pointed at his head.
One man escorted him out, and three others robbed the congregation.
The four men then took off in a getaway car and Sullivan’s silver Toyota Fortuner.
The vehicle was later discovered abandoned several miles away, with no evidence of the ruthless gunmen.
South African Police said in a statement: “It is alleged that four armed and masked male suspects entered the church during a sermon.”
“They robbed two cell phones and then took the 45-year-old male pastor with them and fled the scene.”
Captain Andrew Beetge, a police spokesperson, confirmed that the pastor was kidnapped at gunpoint by four masked men, while church members were robbed and instructed to remain silent.
Tonya Morton Rinket, Sullivan’s mother from Tennessee, posted on her Facebook page, “My heart is breaking. Please continue to pray for my son, daughter-in-law, and all of our family.”
“Joshua is still missing but our congressman and the American Embassy are aware and working on finding them and I know he is doing God’s work and will be kept safe.”
South African Police Motherwell and the elite SAPS Anti-Gang Unit have opened the investigation and are said to have several leads.
Churchman Sullivan was abducted at 19:00pm on Thursday.
The church he attended is located in Nelson Mandela Bay’s largest township.
He relocated to South Africa from Maryville, Tennessee, in 2018 to become a “church planter,” a Baptist missionary who establishes new churches and congregations in new areas.
On the Fellowship Baptist Church Motherwell website, Sullivan expressed a desire to work with South Africans and “plant a church for the Xhosa-speaking people”.
The pastor’s brother-in-law, Zach Witt, said, “Please pray for my brother’s safety as he was abducted and is still missing, but let us all pray for his safe return to his family.”
Friends of the Sullivans, Jeremy and Rebekah Hall, are caring for the three children and mother at their home.
Jeremy Hall stated, “The police have a lead on a suspect that they are currently pursuing.
“I pray for this family’s safe return, as well as the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit.
He speculated that the armed men knew Sullivan personally, stating: “The gang came into the church and initially held Meagan and walked her towards the door before saying ‘Josh is this your wife’ so they knew them and then pushed her to the floor.”
According to the BBC, a spokesperson for the US State Department confirmed that they were aware of the situation involving an American citizen in South Africa.
Kidnappings in South Africa have increased dramatically in recent years, with big money to be made in ransoms for wealthy businessmen.
In 2023/24, there were 17,061 reported kidnappings.