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By Heraldviews

South African authorities have rescued an American missionary abducted at gunpoint during a church sermon, capping a dramatic operation marked by a high-intensity shootout that left three suspects dead.

Joshua Sullivan, a 34-year-old pastor from Tennessee, was freed Tuesday by a specialized police unit known as the Hawks, who tracked the assailants to a residential area outside the city of Gqeberha in the country’s Eastern Cape province. He was found miraculously unharmed inside a vehicle from which the suspects had fired on police as they attempted to flee.

The operation unfolded in the township of KwaMagxaki, just a 20-minute drive from Motherwell, where Sullivan had been preaching at Fellowship Baptist Church when he was seized by armed men on Thursday night. The attackers also stole mobile phones from members of the congregation before abducting Sullivan. His vehicle was later discovered abandoned, prompting an intensive manhunt.

"The victim was found inside the same vehicle from which the suspects had launched their attack," the Hawks said in a statement. "Miraculously unharmed, he was immediately assessed by medical personnel and is currently in excellent condition."

Sullivan’s mother, Tonya Morton Rinker, shared the news in an emotional Facebook post: “My Baby is free! Joshua was rescued earlier today!! He is home with Meagan and the kids … Thank you for your support and prayers.”

The rescue comes amid a sharp surge in abductions across South Africa, a country grappling with soaring violent crime rates and vast socioeconomic inequality. Police statistics show kidnappings have more than tripled over the past decade, reaching 17,061 cases in the year to March 2024. Homicide rates are also among the highest in the world, with over 27,000 murders recorded last year—more than 50 percent higher than a decade ago.

Though motives vary, a report by the Institute for Security Studies found that nearly half of all kidnappings stem from vehicle hijackings aimed at extorting quick cash. Another 22 percent are linked to robberies, while only 5 percent are calculated ransom operations. It remains unclear what drove Sullivan’s abduction.

A towering figure with a gentle demeanor, Sullivan first traveled to South Africa with his wife, Meagan, in 2015 on a six-month mission. The couple returned in 2018 as full-time missionaries, settling in the Eastern Cape where they became fluent in isiXhosa, the region’s most widely spoken language. They have four biological children and have taken in two local children as part of their extended family.

In an earlier post, Rinker described her son as a “big-hearted gentle giant,” deeply devoted to his faith and the community he served.

The brazen kidnapping has reignited fears around the growing risk to foreign nationals, especially those embedded in underserved communities where law enforcement presence is often limited. But it also cast a spotlight on the tireless work of South African police units like the Hawks, whose intervention helped avert a potentially graver tragedy.

As investigators work to determine the full scope and motive behind the attack, community members in Gqeberha and beyond are celebrating the safe return of a missionary many have come to see as one of their own.

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.