The Holmes Family: October/November '04

These two months of autumn have allowed us to appreciate several opportunities to stay with family members during our meetings. Just in the month of October, we

visited relatives in the areas of Gulfport (MS), Baton Rouge (LA), Dallas and Houston (TX), and Birmingham (AL). Our churches were mainly in the Southeast except for one in Illinois, and we presented our ministry in seven different missions conferences.

Sabrina and I have been amazed by the multitude of unique ministry opportunities in which we’ve been able to participate; in the midst of a week-long conference in Austin, Texas [Pastor Hank Thompson pictured], I teamed with several

other missionaries and members of the church as we preached the gospel of Christ on the street directly in front of the University of Texas (until recently the largest college in the nation)! That next Saturday, I met with Bro. Arthur Alvarez and helped him pass out flyers for his new work in Round Rock, Texas. Pastor Alvarez and I served together a few times in the bus ministry while we attended Hyles-Anderson College. It was encouraging to see his excitement for the church and vision for that area, and he wants us to be their first supported missionary. On November 14th, we got news that the brand new Round Rock Baptist Church had 111 in attendance in their first service—Praise the Lord! From there, we went to Houston and attended our first Spanish conference

[Pastor Carrizales pictured]. I wish I had paid more attention during my two years of foreign language classes in high school! The preaching was great and included messages from our mission board founder, Dr. Mike Cox.

In a letter sent during this time last year, I asked for prayer as we were then trying to sell our mobile home that Sabrina and I had been living in while we worked at our home church for two years. Thankfully, except for one month, the trailer has been rented by a family in our church since we’ve been on deputation, and recently the Lord allowed us to pay the mortgage in full without using any monthly support that we’ve received for our ministry—what a victory! Thank you to those who remembered us in this matter; we prayerfully anticipate many more triumphs in the future.

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

October/November '04

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