The day after Sullivan was kidnapped, Fellowship Baptist indicated that the question the church is hearing the most right now is, “Why send missionaries?” Although some people are being “malicious and hateful” by asking that, others are sincerely curious or confused, the church wrote. “While we cannot satisfy those who would be critical,” it added, “we can give you a solid, Bible reason why we send missionaries. It is this—because God did and He told us to.”
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In his most recent prayer letter to supporters, Sullivan said two women recently became Christians and two other people were baptized. He requested prayers for a young boy who is “very close to accepting Christ as his Savior but is a little confused. Much like many American Christians, our people [in South Africa] have heard preaching from every flavor of church doctrine you can imagine.”
According to crime statistics from the South African Police Service, kidnappings in the country have increased 264% in the past decade. Most are connected to armed robbery. An average of 50 kidnappings per day are reported to police, but less than 5% are “linked to ransom demands, human trafficking, or extortion.”
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect Sullivan’s correct age.
