An American pastor who was kidnapped at gunpoint in South Africa and held for ransom for six terrifying days before being rescued in a deadly police shootout, has started telling the incredible story of his ordeal and his miraculous survival.
34-year-old missionary Josh Sullivan revealed that officers from the crack Hawks police unit only stumbled on his captors by accident — which he claims is just one of many miracles that kept him alive as his emotions swung between waves of fear and faith.
He said that despite times of doubts in his mind, he trusted God would allow him to see his family again.
They are currently back in the US where Josh has been giving interviews, recounting what happened.
HOW THE KIDNAP BEGAN
On the evening of Thursday, April 10, he had just started teaching about the fruits of the Spirit at his Fellowship Baptist Church in Motherwell which is part of the Eastern Cape’s largest city of Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth.
“We do our prayer time before service, and I got up to preach, and about one minute into the sermon, four masked gunmen entered the building,” Josh recalled
“South Africa is not the safest place. We’ve been robbed before. So, we originally thought they were just going to come in and take some phones.”
“I preached from an iPad. I thought they were going to take it, but once he hit me over the head with his gun and then grabbed my wife, I knew something was different about this.”
The pastor agreed to do “whatever they wanted” him to do, fearing they might kidnap his wife Meagan, too.
“They got me up and they took me into my own vehicle.”
KIDNAPPERS MAKE RANSOM DEMAND AND TAKE PASTOR TO ‘SAFE HOUSE’
“One of them immediately started to tell me: So I know who you are. I know you’re American. I know you have money, and we’re going to kidnap you, and we’re going to get five million Rand (A$400,0000).“
The kidnappers drove only a short distance before twice transferring the pastor into different vehicles.
They took him to their ‘safe house’ and tied him up.
He said he spent most of the time lying on what he believes was a queen-sized bed, all the time with his head covered by a hood which had a hole for his nose that allowed him to breathe freely.
“Two men were there the entire time. One of them was evil to me, would say evil things to me,” Pastor Sullivan remembered.
“The other one was like the chef. He would come in and ask what I wanted to eat and drink. I didn’t eat for the first two days.”
PASTOR SHARES THE GOSPEL WITH HIS CAPTORS
“But I was able to tell them about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, giving them the Gospel. They had never heard that message before.”
“One individual was very interested. He had never heard that Jesus loved him or cared for him, and he was very interested in it, listened to everything I had to say”
“The second individual just listened and didn’t really mind too much. At least I had the opportunity to do that.”
“TORTURE” FOR PASTOR’S WIFE AND CHILDREN
Back at the Sullivans home, Meagan Sullivan later recalled it was “torture” for six days.
She had to focus on surrendering to God and comforting her six children, two of whom were adopted in South Africa.
“They were sobbing. They were terrified. But we prayed together. We gave it to the Lord and told Him that we trust Him.”
“I was just so broken, and over the next few days, I just remember the Lord telling me to wait.”
The kidnappers contacted Meagan via WhatsApp after several days, demanding the ransom for her husband’s release.
“I just crumbled to the ground when I was talking to them because they said: 5-million ransom — cash — and you’ll get your husband back.”
“I was just really trying to figure out how I was going to make that happen.”
POLICE AND KIDNAPPERS IN GUN BATTLE ON SIXTH DAY OF CAPTIVITY
On the sixth day of his captivity, Josh Sullivan was told by his captors they were moving him from the ‘safe house.’
They bundled him into a vehicle and drove out of a garage into a driveway.
“As we’re sitting in the driveway, those three men just jumped out of the car. I don’t know what’s going on and they begin firing at someone,”
“For about five to seven minutes, I hear a gun battle. Nothing hits the car, nothing around the car. But I just hear guns going off.”
“I didn’t know what I should do. Should I run? Should I get out? I didn’t know, so I just laid back there and prayed. I’m assuming police because there’s a lot of fire, maybe 20 gunshots.”
“I just keep my head down. I hear footsteps coming and I’m just hoping Let this be a good guy.”
And it was.
PASTOR’S EMOTIONAL REACTION AFTER BEING RESCUED
“A police officer opens the door and he’s shocked that I’m in the car and says: Are you the American pastor? I said Yes.”
“Seeing those officers, I just began crying. I got on my hands and knees and praised God.”
“Just thanking the Lord and hacking and spitting and crying everywhere.”
“I was in complete shock. I was just rambling and crying and my thoughts weren’t clear. I was saying all kinds of crazy things, especially at the reunion [with his family],” he added.
Pastor Sullivan is convinced God rescued him, especially after what police told him during his debriefing.
HOW JOSH SULLIVAN WAS ONLY FOUND BY ACCIDENT
They explained they received a tip-off about a suspicious vehicle and went to chase it down.
But they took a wrong turn and ended up in the driveway of the house where the pastor was being held captive, to turn their vehicle around.
It was then that his kidnappers began firing at the officers.
The senior officer at the debriefing told Josh: “I know that you’re a praying man and I know that there’s people praying for you, because we were lost when we found you.”
The pastor questioned: “How did the car not get shot? How did they not shoot me thinking I was a criminal as well?”
“It was an absolute miracle and it was the sovereign hand of God that was there with me that day.”
Pastor Sullivan and his family are recovering in their home state of Tennessee, but remain hopeful of returning to South Africa.
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