Voice of the Martyrs, 10 March 2022 (excerpts)
Pastor Ebrahim leads an unofficial church in Yemen. One day, while the church gathered for worship and prayer, a dozen armed men burst into the church and aimed their weapons at Ebrahim and the congregation. The leader of the armed men pointed a gun at Ebrahim’s head, threatening to kill him. Ebrahim prayed and encouraged his congregation: “Be at peace; in a few moments we will be with Jesus,” he said. As peace filled the room, one of the armed men called off the attack, and as the group left, they took all of the church’s equipment and Bibles.
“Ebrahim is happy that, somewhere in Yemen, stacks of Bibles are laying for someone to pick up and learn about Jesus,” a front-line worker said. Pray for Ebrahim and his congregation to remain firm in faith amid hostile opposition.
For many years, the people of Yemen have suffered from civil wars and violence from Islamic extremists, including al-Qaida. Although the situation has further deteriorated since the start of the most recent civil war, in 2015, Yemeni Christians have become bolder in their outreach efforts, though it is still extremely dangerous to even be identified as a Christian. Small but steady numbers of Yemenis are continually being added to the body of Christ, and more are gaining interest as Christian media grows. Most regions of the country include at least one follower of Christ.
Converting to Christianity from Islam is a crime punishable by death, and families consider it extremely shameful for a family member to become a Christian. Christians worship secretly in homes or in small groups outdoors.