Kidnappers who seized US pastor Josh Sullivan, 34, at the Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell in Gqeberha on Thursday evening called his wife with a ransom demand less than 24 hours later.
The ransom amount has not been disclosed.
A friend and fellow pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church, Mark Coffey, spoke to the Sunday Times from the US on Saturday.
“There were six men, two or three of them were armed. When they entered the church at about 7pm while evening service was taking place, they went straight to his wife Meagan and grabbed her. One of them then turned to Josh and asked, ‘Is this your wife, Josh?’
“Josh and Meagan’s son started crying and Josh ran closer. The men then grabbed Josh, pistol-whipped him and dragged him out to his own vehicle outside,” Coffey said.
The family lived in fear while the kidnappers maintained radio silence until the following day. “They remained completely quiet and only phoned Meagan on Friday afternoon. A family member of mine was present and he took the phone from her.”
On Friday she thanked friends, family and the community for the “outpouring of love and prayers” on social media.
“We beg you to continue storming the throne room until Josh is safe at home,” she said.
While the Hawks say they can’t confirm that Sullivan’s silver Toyota Fortuner was found, because “the investigation into confirming ownership of the vehicle is still ongoing”, police sources and Coffey told the Sunday Times it had been found on the same evening near the church.
When asked whether a ransom demand had been made, Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Avele Fumba said: “The matter was originally investigated by SAPS but automatically came to the DPCI the moment a ransom was asked for.”
Fumba said he was not at liberty to discuss the ransom amount.
Sullivan, who has been active in “church planting” in South Africa since 2018, maintains a monthly blog and church news letter.
In the February edition he wrote: “The week we were to leave on our furlough, a few troublemakers in the community tried to stir up trouble, and ‘close our doors’. There was a community meeting. In this meeting, our church and myself were accused of many different lies. I had to answer against the accusations and it seemed nothing ever came of it. It was stressful and discouraging, but we surrendered it to the Lord.
“We thought that was the end, but God was working behind the scenes. After we left, there was talk of burning the church down,” Sullivan wrote.
On Saturday, Coffey discounted the “troublemakers” as suspects.
“This is unrelated to Josh’s kidnapping. There were two women who wanted to use the church facility for some sort of social function, which went against our church doctrine. I can’t remember now, but I believe there would have been alcohol. Josh said no and the women were upset, but the congregation and the community were on Josh’s side and that was the end of that.”
Coffey described Sullivan as a “big-hearted, gentle giant”.
“He is originally from Maryville, Tennessee. Josh is 34 years old and a member of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, where pastor Tom Hatley is his pastor,” Coffey said. “Man, he is going to be so ticked off when he hears how everybody got his age wrong. Josh is 34 years old, not 45 like what is being reported.”
He said his friend loves sport. “Growing up, Josh developed a deep love for sports and was a standout American football player at Maryville High School, where he was part of three state championship teams. That same passion and discipline now fuel his heart for missions and ministry.”
Sullivan also enjoys rugby, baseball and basketball, though his first love is American football.
“He’s a diehard fan of the Tennessee Volunteers and rarely misses a game.”
Sullivan and his wife first came to South Africa in 2015 for a six-month internship as part of their Bible training studies.
“It was during this time the Lord began to stir their hearts specifically for the Xhosa people. They returned in 2018 as full-time church-planting missionaries, determined to share the gospel and see lives changed.”
Josh’s love for the Xhosa people is evident in everything he does. He doesn’t just serve them — he walks with them, learns from them and pours his life into building lasting relationships ... He often says learning the Xhosa language wasn’t just about communication — it was about connection
— Mark Coffey, pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church
Sullivan committed himself to two years of language school and became fluent in Xhosa so he could preach and minister more effectively.
“That dedication led to the planting of Fellowship Baptist Church in the township of Motherwell — a community that has become home to their hearts,” Coffey said.
“Josh’s love for the Xhosa people is evident in everything he does. He doesn’t just serve them — he walks with them, learns from them, and pours his life into building lasting relationships rooted in the love of Christ. He often says learning the Xhosa language wasn’t just about communication — it was about connection.”
He said the Sullivans are raising four children.
“Their love for family extends beyond their own. They’ve also taken in two Xhosa children, loving and caring for them as their own.
“Josh deeply loves his wife, often expressing how grateful he is for her strength, faith and constant support. Meagan is a vital part of their ministry, investing in ladies’ discipleship, children’s outreach and faithfully walking alongside Josh in every aspect of life and ministry.”
Fumba urged people with information to come forward: “In response to the incident, a multidisciplinary task team consisting of various specialised police units was activated. The team is currently following all possible leads to locate the victim and apprehend the perpetrators.
“We urge anyone with information that may assist the investigation to come forward. All information will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.”
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