The Holmes Family: January/February '11

The New Year has ushered in several changes to our church schedule as we seek to get more of our members involved in our regular services and institute training. The Temple Baptist Institute recently completed its first round of the full three-year curriculum, which means that several of our original students no longer need to attend. To make the ministry training school more accessible to some of our interested churchgoers, we moved the classes from Monday and Tuesday to Saturday only. Now we meet four hours on one day for five weeks, and the sixth week is our exam. We have been pleased to see at least 15 new students in classes so far. Also, in our mid-week prayer meeting, where I am teaching a series on “Reaching the Next Generation,” attendance has increased as we moved the service time back 30 minutes to make

provision for the increased weekday traffic coming from town towards our church. Our Sunday evening service is also undergoing the following changes: starting in March, two Sundays a month will be devoted to “Family Time” when each of our fellowships (men, ladies, singles [pictured at an outing], teens, and children’s club) will meet for one hour, the first Sunday of each month will be Lord’s Supper, and the third Sunday will be devoted to a special visitation program. I will still take time each Sunday evening to continue our preaching series on “Character Traits.”

A phenomenon that has been a joy to observe over the years has become more obvious recently: our people have increasingly devoted more attention to the financing of our ministry. Last year our men’s fellowship (among several other functions) raised money to replace our bus engine, provide electrical

wiring for our new generator, and begin the outside plastering of our present auditorium [pictured is our men's fellowship leader with his daughter]. Our ladies fellowship has now taken over providing the food and doing the cooking for each of our conferences and the church anniversary; last year, they held a fundraising dinner so that various needs within our membership could be met, and seven of our ladies attended an out-of-town women’s conference, which filled them with many more ideas. We have recently formed a business men’s fellowship that is going to focus more on generating funds within our church and helping our members with job opportunities and job skills, allowing our men’s fellowship to keep its original focus on visiting families, meeting prayer needs, and improving the church.

Our single lady missionary, Ms. Pat Hamburg, has been quite a blessing to our church and my family. Since her arrival in August 2009, she has faithfully taught the ladies Sunday School class, ladies Bi

ble Institute classes [students pictured with Ms. Pat], and an English class open to all in our church. She secured a house of her own close to the church at the beginning of last year and is very involved in visiting with and being a help to our ladies. Ms. Pat has very little financial support, so I know she would be quite appreciative for your prayers on her behalf.

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

January/February '11

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