The Holmes Family: January/February '09

Our ministry has already focused on 2009 as the time that we will start our Bible college (in August, with God’s help) for the purpose of sending out graduates to begin Bible-believing churches. However, immediate exciting opportunities have been thrust upon us to launch a new church, re-establish another, and

assist one of our Temple Bible Institute graduates in the founding of a church. We are thankful for three supporting churches who have already contributed extra to these church planting efforts, and we pray that others who are reading this will assist us in our labors to buy land, erect buildings [like the one pictured], and help support the men who will be pastoring these works.

After having two previous conflicts in scheduling, my sending church pastor, Dr. Dan Q. Carr [pictured with Pastor Simon Peter and his wife], was able to visit us in February and preach our second-annual week-long revival meeting. Sabrina

was thrilled to have her first official visitor, as my pastor’s wife was able to make the journey also. Our church immediately fell in love with both of them, and, in many ways, their trip proved to be in perfect timing. Upon their arrival back to Gulfport, Faith Baptist Church promptly raised enough money for us to buy a new generator that will supply all the back-up electricity to run everything in our house. Work has also continued on our property for the Bible college due to the extra financial contribution our mission board’s home church, First Baptist of Hammond.

Allow me to conclude this letter with a testimony from one of our church ushers, police Sergeant Republic Dakum [pictured right], who attended our church’s very first evening service and later joined the membership:

My wife and I were born, brought up, and married as Catholic, but when I came in contact with Pastor Mark, my life and that of my family changed. This took the pastor about two months of coming to my house frequently in order to convince me that

one has to be saved before baptism. However, he showed it from the scriptures, and both of us with my family were baptized into Truth Baptist Church. I give God the glory! My testimony has always been that God actually brought Pastor Mark Holmes to Nigeria for ME. I have been blessed by the word of God in Truth Baptist Church and more enlightened through some explanations by Pastor Mark; this has strengthened me. Also, the various pastoral conferences which the pastor has organized have helped most of us in the church. We are able to be visited by great men of God; by these I believe we are strongly blessed. One thing I want to emulate from my pastor is that it is amazing the strength he exhibits in visiting each member of our church at his or her residence. This depicts the level of commitment, and the pastor has made up his mind to serve God in truth. This church has helped me much in particular because of the preaching and also for the soul-winning every Saturday; some of our members do this every day. Thank God for his grace!

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.

1 comment:

Todd Futhey<>< said...: Mark, It has been encouraging to read through your site and very good of you to speak with me over the phone. We plan on sending our container (Lord willing) in August and arriving in Sept. to be there to receive it. Perhaps we can locate an embankment that the truck can back up to and off load everything and then use the machine to unload the container.
If you think of anything else to share with us, feel free to email, Jesussaves@truevine.net
Our website is Prayersfarm.org

In Jesus' name, Todd<><; May 8, 2009 at 9:05 PM

The Holmes Family

January/February '09

1 comment:

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