–– Paul Schlehlein

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On Thursday, 10 April, in a coastal town in South Africa, American missionary Josh Sullivan was kidnapped by four armed suspects. The location was Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell, a large township in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) in the Eastern Cape. The men apparently entered the church during a prayer service that Sullivan was leading, abducting him and taking his Toyota Fortuner. Sullivan’s wife and young children were not harmed. There are reports that he is being held for ransom.

According to police statistics, there has been a 264% increase in kidnappings in South Africa over the past decade.