The kidnapping of a Tennessee pastor who works in South Africa occurs in the middle of a kidnapping rate in the country in the last 10 years, driven by armed robberies.
Josh Sullivan, a pastor and missionary of the 34 -year -old Fellowship Baptist Church who worked in Motherwell, was allegedly kidnapped by several armed and masked men who broke their church on the east cell phones since April 10, Tok Tok Sullivan in their own truck.
“The annual statistics of the Crime of the Police Service of South Africa (SAPS) show that in the last decade, the incursion kidnappings at 264% of 4,692 in 2014/15 to 17,061 in 2023/24,” said the Savic of the Institute of Security Studies (ISS). “The most recent quarterly crime statistics, published on November 25 [2024]Show an increase in -y -ff. “
The majority of kidnapping incidents during the period of time 2023-2024 “were aggravated robberies of duration, such as cars kidnappings or armed trucks or robberies in companies, households or public spaces,” reads the ISS Africa report.
‘Founding things’ is ‘key’ for the safe return of Tennessee pastor kidnapped in South Afric
Josh Sullivan, a 34 -year -old pastor from Tennessee, has been kidnapped in South Africa. (Melowship Baptist Church/Facebook)
The spokesperson of the eastern spokesman of Cape Hawks, Ndiphiwe Mhlakhuvana, told the South African news store that the suspects who kidnapped Sullivan demanded a ransom.
“In response to the incident, a multidisciplinary task team consists[ing] or several specialized police officers [sic] The units were activated. The joint team currently follows all possible potential customers to locate the victim and stop the perpetratos. The suspects demanded a rescue, “Mhlakhuvana told Iol.
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The Directorate of South Africa for the investigation of priority crimes, known as the Hawks, urged anyone with information to be presented, saying that “all the information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality,” Iol said.
The ISS Africa report indicates that less than 5% of the kidnappings in South Africa imply rescue demands.
Tennessee’s republican senator, Marsha Blackburn, told Fox News Digital in a statement that “her prayers are with the family of Pastor Sullivan and those who work tirelessly to rescue him from the thesis vicious criminal gangs.”
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“I have my leg in contact with the State Department and I presented a consultation with the Embassy in South Africa, and they are working to help this family anyway to Can,” Blackburn said.
Senator Marsha Blackburn, R-Ten., Said she is regarding the kidnapping of Joshua Sullivan in South Africa in contact with the State Department. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)
Bobby McDonald, a professor of criminal justice at New Haven University in Connecticut, told Fox News Digital that it seems that missionaries who work “in different countries, whose sounds in the countries of the amateurs or Timaicans, where gang activity is closely related to gangs or the desire to … hurt people who are from different countries … trying to make a difference.”
“South Africa, over the years, and I have bone there, it can be in a very well -off bell in South Africa and moments later be in an underdeveloped or disadvantaged neighborhood, the cities of shacks they saw said.” “There are many different areas … slightly outside the beetle path, and can be found in a situation that can cause your family to your family.”
Tom Hatley, Pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church, told Madison Scarpino de Fox News that Sullivan was at a prayer meeting on Thursday when “someone entered, and then others followed him, and asked them in Toke and Long, and a lot He took you and took you and took you and took you, and took you and took you and took you and took you and took you and took you and took you. and then “by name and then.
“It was something we all knew that could happen there, but we always waited and pray that,” Hatley said.
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He added that Baptist leaders of scholarships “expected Josh to be returned that Thursday night, and when it wasn’t, we expected that to be returned that Friday morning. But things have simply not worked in that way.”
Joshua Sullivan, a Tennessee pastor who does missionary work in South Africa, was kidnapped on April 10. (Facebook)
Sullivan is still “fresh and calm” and is “driving” the situation, Hatley said.
In a live discussion published by the inner church of Sullivan in Tennessee, the Baptist Church Fellowship, four months ago, Sullivan and his wife told stories of being stolen in South Africa. They are a total of six years in the country and planted a new church in Motherwell in 2021.
“Stealing is a very common fact. It is very common,” said Sullivan in the video.
Then, his wife told a time when he was stolen or a new iPhone.
“The crime does not express gangs. There are gangs … but it is not where the voice of crime,” he told the Church, adding that many locals “cannot put food on the table.”
Josh Sullivan has a passion for sports and used to be a high school soccer player. (Facebook)
“They really are just looking for money to live or,” he said.
McDonald said that “a little money in certain areas can be a lot of money” in others.
“Maybe this is something that is happening a lot in that area, and there may be other kidnappings on the path of thesis gangs … It will be interesting to see how South African authorities want to handle this, he said.” It is never good when someone kidnaps. It is worse when missionaries from other countries are kidnapped. “
Sullivan’s mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, described Sullivan’s “humor and white as a” blessing. “
“[H]And he is always ready with a joke, and forever looking to make people laugh, “he said in a statement.” He is an exceptional father, husband and son, who embodies goodness, strength and generosity. It has a heart of servants, a childish compassionate spirit and is full of disinterest. He has a burden for lost souls and has dedicated his life to serve God in South Africa. I pray for your safe return, full of faith and security. “
The missionary Mark Coffey described Sullivan in a Facebook publication as “a friendly giant, with a big heart and gentle.”
Josh Sullivan’s family is looking for answers after his kidnapping of April 10. (Facebook)
“Originally from Maryville, Tennessee, Josh is 34 years old and a member of the Baptist Church of Fellowship in Maryville, where shepherd Tom Hatley is his shepherd,” Coffey said. “When growing, Josh developed a deep love for sports and was a football player highlighted at Maryville High School, where he was part of three state championship teams. That same passion and discipline now feed his heart for the missions and his tenh and his lame a six -month internship as part of his biblical training.”
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Coffey continued: “This time, this time the Lord began to shake hearts specifically for the Xhosa people. They returned in 2018 as full -time churches planting missionaries, determined to share the gospel and see lives of the committee and pray. In Xhosa to be able to preach and minister more effective.
The Sullivans also have tasks in two Xhosa children to raise along with their own children.