Members of Seattle church praying for local missionary believed kidnapped in Nigeria

SEATTLE -- A local missionary working in Nigeria was kidnapped Monday by three armed men, her stepson said.

Now other members of her church -- the First Free Methodist Church -- in Lower Queen Anne prayed Monday night for Phyllis Sorter's safe return.

Phyllis' stepson, Richard Sorter, said the family doesn't know much about what happened to her, but they are desperate to get her home safely.

"She was taken in front of her house by three guys with machine guns," Sorter said outside the church Monday night.

Phyllis is a reverend with the church.

"She is one of the most God-fearing people in the world and all she wants is for everybody to have a good life and to be happy -- and equality," Sorter said.

His stepmother has built schools in Nigeria and taught children there for nearly 15 years, he said.

"We just want her to be safe and get out," he said. "We are just a working-class family, we don't have money. That's not a huge church, they don't have money. Why they took her, how knows?

"The people that are doing this stuff, these guys have no backing -- they're just cowards."

Sorter said it's just a waiting game now, until authorities can get more information about who is holding her and why.