The Holmes Family: July/August '05

When Sabrina and I decided in April to travel to Nigeria on a ninety-day to

urist visa, we weren’t sure if it would be worth the expense involved. Yet, we went with three goals in mind, and all have been achieved by God’s leading and to our joy. First, we knew we could gain some familiarity and glean much from working alongside Missionary Ron Gensaw [pictured behind his pulpit] at his church in the capital city. These two months have been the highlights of our learning experience. I had asked you to pray about our two big days planned during the 5th Anniversary program of Pilgrim’s Independent Baptist Church in Kubwa. They had set a goal of 3,000 in attendance for both days, and the results were phenomenal. On Sunday, July 10th, we held twelve services (one at the main church, one in a village,

six in chapels, and four in schools). Just the service in which I preached at a secondary school had over 2,000 students and adults! Sabrina spoke at an all-girls school with more than 700 attending! The total for all the services was a turnout of 7,300 people with several hundred souls getting saved! August 7th was the biggest service for the main church and two village chapels [one pictured]. The ministry matched its previous record for one-day attendance with over 1,400 present. One of the chapels had a special program on Saturday night also, and with those numbers, there was well over 3,000 people reached for that weekend; what a great God we serve!

The second objective, to visit works of other missionaries, has been accomplished as Sabrina and I have made four different trips within the country. On one such journey to Enugu during the second week in August, the Lord allowed us to reach our third aim, to get the particulars needed for a resident permit. Missionary Rich Schooler, a veteran of sixteen years in Nigeria, is allowing us to work under his ministry with the freedom to start a church anywhere in nation. Much detail could be given here about visas, but I’ll just summarize by saying that obtaining the paperwork required and having the liberty to go wherever God leads are huge answers to prayer and made our whole three-month stay worthwhile.

As you well know, on August 29th, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast which includes my hometown of Gulfport. Miraculously, the houses of our immediate family received very little damage, and the buildings at our sending church were unscathed. However, almost two dozen of our church families lost their homes, and many other local ministries have suffered much harm. Several pastors have already called and e-mailed to encourage us and ask how they could help.

Our visas end on September 3rd, so I will be bringing Sabrina and Joseph

back to the U.S. then. The timing works out so that she can have our second child in Louisiana during December, Lord willing. I will be revisiting Nigeria myself on September 22nd until Thanksgiving with the purpose of making things ready for our family. Thank you for your faithfulness in praying for us!

Who We Are

Mark Joseph Holmes was called to the ministry at the age of fifteen, five years after he was saved. He went to Hyles-Anderson College to receive his training and graduated summa cum laude in 2000 with a degree in Pastoral Theology. During Mark’s senior year, God placed on his heart the desire to reach the people of Nigeria, so he spent an extra year in preparation by taking missions courses. Mark served on the same bus route each college year, as captain for three years.

Sabrina Michelle (Hopkins) was saved at the age of eight and surrendered her life to God five years later. While at Hyles-Anderson College studying music education, she served in the Bible Club and deaf ministry and also traveled one summer with a tour group. After graduation with a Music Education degree, during the year before their wedding, Sabrina taught fourth grade at her home church’s Christian school—Central Baptist in Baton Rouge.

As newlyweds, Mark and Sabrina served at their sending church where Mark oversaw the bus ministry and helped in the youth department, Sunday schools, and junior churches. He was privileged to start a children's church and young adult class during his two years of service, and he also regularly preached at a prison ministry and taught for a local Bible institute. Sabrina taught private piano for two Christian schools; she played often in the church services and also taught the beginner Sunday school class. Mark and Sabrina started full-time deputation at the end of May, 2003. Mark Joseph, Junior was born on December 4th of the same year.

In June of 2005, the Holmes family began their first term as Fundamental Baptist Missions International missionaries in Nigeria. Soon, Truth Baptist Church along with Temple Baptist Institute was started, the church now averaging 220 on Sundays with 42 graduates from the ministry training school. Property with buildings was purchased, and Providence Baptist College & Seminary opened its doors in August 2009 and has now produced 30 graduates. 35 churches have been started by those who have been trained or ordained by their ministry, including one of the most recent, Grace & Glory Baptist Church in Abuja, in which the Holmes family is also involved. Mark and Sabrina have returned to the U.S. for the birth of: Victoria Noel 12/14/05
Brian Michael 8/20/07
Noah Preston 2/3/12

LaDonna Elizabeth 7/3/14
For nearly a decade, Truth Baptist Church has been the home of a national pastors' conference, an annual youth camp, a full curriculum DVD correspondence college, and the City of Refuge recently became their newest ministry.

Where We Are

The Niger River is Nigeria’s most remarkable physical feature, as well as the source of its name. Formerly a British colony, Nigeria gained its independence in 1960 and became an independent nation of three culturally distinctive regions and at least 250 different language groups—more than any other African country. Home of the world’s largest black population, it is estimated that almost one out of every six Africans resides in Nigeria.

Upon independence, Nigeria inherited a currency that was more valuable than the U.S. dollar at the time. Yet the country has consumed itself with the sell of oil and other natural resources and all but abandoned its agricultural sector, leading to Nigeria’s diminished currency value and heightened reliance upon imports and aide from other countries. Military coups, ethnic tensions, a thirty month “civil war” that claimed over a million lives, and economic corruption have been the driving forces behind Nigeria’s instability of the last forty years. In 1998 a democracy was established, ending fifteen years of military rule.

Baptists have enjoyed a presence in the country for over 150 years with the Southern Baptists growing their own national convention and an estimated Baptist population numbering more than 3.5 million people; the former President of Nigeria was a claimed Baptist. However, Muslim influences are growing greater, indigenous beliefs are still popular, and many existing Baptist churches have abandoned biblical doctrines. There is a great need to reach the rest of the more than 170 million people of Africa’s most populous and possibly most influential nation.

The Holmes Family

July/August '05

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