The Holmes Family: May/June '11

May of this year was quite an eventful month as we wrapped up the 4th Semester of our Providence Baptist College & Seminary. On the 2nd Sunday, Truth Baptist Church celebrated its 5th Anniversary by canvassing eight areas to conduct outreach services, in addition to our regular meeting on the church property. Over 630 total people attended the assemblies; this number included the grand opening attendance for Christ Baptist Church of Karshi, now pastored by a soon-to-be seminary graduate. One of the outreach ministries rejoiced in reaching over 100 people on our anniversary Sunday; immediately we made plans with the people to start a church, and the next Sunday, the chief from a neighboring village attended service at the new church and asked for a work to be started in his area! The 3rd week of May saw us fill an 18 passenger van to attend a national pastors conference which was held an eight-hour drive away; most of our seminary students and several pastors from Abuja attended and were blessed by the preaching, fellowship, and special gifts. Our whole family had the opportunity to travel during the last week of May to Missionary David Maskey’s ministry for their ladies’ spectacular [the missionary speakers are pictured: Sabrina with Mrs.

Maskey and Mrs. Carter] and church preaching conference. We have especially enjoyed fellowshipping with their wonderful family and being a part of their great work each year that we have been in Nigeria.

Exactly six years ago, Sabrina and Joseph and I arrived in Nigeria and began working with a veteran missionary. Ten months later, an assistant pastor of that missionary recommended someone that he could trust to work in our house. Shem Daniel [pictured with 2 of his children] became the “guard” in our compound, and promised our missionary friend that he would never run from any responsibility. I had the privilege

of baptizing Shem; by the third month of our new work, he was the children’s church preacher. During the inaugural year of Truth Baptist Church, Shem rejoiced in a new experience of winning a soul to Christ, labored to complete his initial Bible institute courses, and delighted in preaching his first sermon. Soon, he and the guard for the church compound became soul-winning partners; by the time the church was able to pay two staff members, there was no question as to who the pair would be. Pastor Shem became a very capable and respected Sunday School teacher, choir leader, church service moderator, outreach director, and seminary staff member. Sadly, Pastor Shem died of hepatitis on June 14 at the age of 30. In his life, Pastor Shem Daniel provided an example of thoroughness in evangelism, care in visitation, zeal in preaching, faithfulness in friendship, love to his wife, strength to his children, and confidence in God. He was to receive his degree during our first seminary graduation next May; we planned to ordain him this August, and his goal was to start a church at the beginning of next year. Please pray for family of Shem in their loss; pray for wisdom as our church seeks to care for his wife and children, and pray for strength as we continue with tears to grow the work that Shem was a vital part in starting.

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

May/June '11

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