The Holmes Family: July/August '21

Miraculously, we are well on our way to pulling off six pastors’ conferences, three youth camps, and two seminary semesters in 2021. The fourth of our scheduled Soul-Winning & Leadership Conferences was successfully held during the second weekend of July. Our assistant pastor, a deacon, and Ms. Pat Hamburg joined my whole family and Missionary Evangelist Don Wattenbarger of Bibles Beyond Boundaries for the second-ever SWLC in Jos [handbill pictured]. Multiple pastors and staff members came together for the preaching services, teaching sessions, and an introductory meeting to plan a full-time institute for Hausa-speaking pastors and their members in the region.

Many of our supporters continue to ask about how the worldwide talk of vaccines and restrictions is affecting Nigeria. Thankfully, there have not been any new protocols, and the only major challenges to our ministry are some lingering effects of the changes to the school schedules from last year, which impacted the attendance at our three S.M.I.T.E.’s this year. We were thrilled to resume the Student Missions Institute for Training in Evangelism in Ogbomoso, and I was honored to preach their first graduation during the first week of August. 86 students registered, and 14 young people received four-year completion certificates on the last evening of the five-day camp. It was our privilege to host Missionary Evangelist Denton Bell of International World-Wide Evangelism to preach at both of our Abuja churches on the weekends before and after the 7th Port Harcourt S.M.I.T.E. Bro. Bell and I traveled together to Port Harcourt where we both preached multiple times to the 58 young people who enrolled [Bible club pictured]. Evangelist Tunde Ajayi conducted a Bible club Blitz in Ibadan with several S.M.I.T.E. graduates during the week between the two camps. I will share the totals of the camps and the blitz after the conclusion in September of our Abuja institute, which we delayed because of our building project.

Also in August, we celebrated the arrival of the first of four new missionaries, all coming fully in the next twelve months, who will work with us in some way as they get setup in Nigeria. Garan and Anneliese Patrick [pictured with Calabar pastor and wife], serving with Baptist International Missions Incorporated, will be ministering alongside Pastor Adewale Adesina at Grace & Glory Baptist Church while working with our college students and getting experience in various other ministries. Already, they’ve secured an apartment, purchased a vehicle, and processed necessary documents for becoming residents of Abuja.

The Truth Baptist Church property has taken on a new look, as pillars were added and a foundation was poured [pictured] for the second floor of the Providence Baptist College & Seminary dormitory. Information about the project can be found at fbmi.org/mpg/holmes, and we covet your prayers, as more funds are needed for the walls and roofing. Simultaneous to that, we are continuing the development of our City of Refuge project, working towards the completion of the property fencing and a kitchen and toilet building.

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

July/August '21

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