History of Christianity
Christianity came early to this region but was wiped out by Islamic invasions. During the period of British rule churches were built, but these have all closed now. Extreme Salafist Islam has held sway in the country for some decades, and with a ruinous civil war still going on since 2010, there has been no chance for traditional Christianity to gain a foothold.
But there is a sizable community of converts from Islam, in fact maybe even larger than in the rest of the Gulf. They are reckoned to number between 2000 and 4000 and are well known for their work in relief and education. Out of Yemen’s nearly 33 million population, roughly 22 million are hungry. Christianity in action is proving a powerful form of outreach. But Christians must keep a low profile.
