The Holmes Family: May/June '05

Greetings from Nigeria! Sabrina, Joseph, and I are happy to announce that we arrived safely in Abuja on June 5th, and we are already seeing some great things happen. We’re currently working with Missionary Ron Gensaw just outside of the city. T

he Lord has greatly protected our health and helped us to adjust physically; as for the ministry part, we are seeing people converted almost daily as we go soul-winning. The first week, my first Nigerian convert, Victor [pictured], later became my first visitor at church on June 12th!

At the end of June, Pilgrim’s Independent Baptist Church planned a crusade in the area where their largest city chapel is located, Mararaba. For two weeks we hung banners, passed out flyers, and advertised the special service by word of mouth. Much work went into the night, and on June 24th over two thousand people gathered on the soccer field in the middle of town to hear Bro. Gensaw preach the Gospel! Sabrina and I sang specials and led the congregational music, and a Christian film was also shown. Praise the Lord, there was no rain, many people in the church participated, and scores of souls were saved!

The following Sunday, I had the privilege of traveling to Ibadan to preach the 9th Anniversary

service for the Victory Independent Baptist Church, founded by Missionary Robert Smith. Pastor Moses Kelani got his people excited about the big day: the church had over 50 visitors, 45 received Christ as Saviour, and 5 were baptized! Sabrina and I have also been able to travel to Port Harcourt and Aba to visit friends of ours we met in Florida who have started a ministry in Nigeria. While there, I was asked to preach the morning service for Missionary Ken Gill at Faith Baptist Church in Aba. We’ve been very thankful for the opportunities to see different works.

Before we left for the field, I attempted to call every pastor to whose church we presented our ministry. We will continue to send our prayer letters by postal mail every two months, but I would like for each church to hear from us every month. I will be sending an e-mail update to accomplish this and save some finances at the same time.

Lastly, please help us in circulating a prayer request. Bro. Gensaw’s

church is in the midst of its 5th Anniversary program, and we are working towards having 3000 in attendance on two different Sundays: July 10th with services we are conducting in different towns, and August 7th with the main church and 5 chapels. The previous attendance record was just under 1500. Thank you for praying with us about these amazing works.

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. Over 30 churches have been started by those who have been trained or ordained by their ministry, including the most recent, Grace & Glory Baptist Church in Abuja. 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 and annual youth camp; a full curriculum DVD correspondence college 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

May/June '05

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