The Holmes Family: September/October '21

During our 17th year of service in Nigeria, we continue to see encouraging firsts throughout our ministry. On September 16th, 25 pastors joined me to dedicate with prayer the first-ever fully equipped production studio [ribbon for our independent Baptist churches in Africa’s most populous nation. Christian Media International raised the funds and sent a representative for the setup; then, a pastors’ fellowship [pictured left] was planned at Independent Baptist Church of Ibadan with singing, preaching, testimonies, and prayers. Announcements were made to let the preachers and church workers understand that the studio was for them to use media to get the Gospel out more effectively to their area and around the nation.

In October, Daniel [pictured with converts for baptism] & Erin Lang, along with their two children, became the first FBMI missionaries to arrive to Abuja since our family came in June of 2005. They have already found a home in the same estate where we reside and will be working with our staff at Truth Baptist Church until they start a ministry of their own. Missionary Lang has been preaching at our seminary chapel, participating in soul-winning and visitation, and speaking in TBC’s weekly youth meeting.

Since our inaugural enrollment in 2009, October of this year was the first time that Providence Baptist College & Seminary welcomed such a large group of new students. Our biggest-ever student body of 26 undergraduates includes eight young men beginning their first semester. The orientation had been delayed for nearly two months because of our building project, but all the seminarians were excited to see the progress. The second floor of the dormitory has been completed, and enough rooms on the ground floor have been restored for accommodating the students. At the time this letter is being written, we have started extending the pillars and constructing the walls [pictured] to reach the roofing level while we are trusting God for the remaining $25,000 that is needed to add the actual roof. For more information, go to fbmi.org/mpg/holmes.

We were pleased to witness both a Vacation Bible School and the last of our three 2021 Student Missions Institutes for Training in Evangelism conducted successfully at Truth Baptist Church in September. 42 churches total were represented by the 241 youth who attended the three SMITE camps in Nigeria. 55 bible clubs were conducted, 2607 children were enrolled, and 1540 were saved! We also had nearly 40 young people graduate from the four-year child evangelism training program.

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

September/October '21

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