The Holmes Family: May/June '23

On the 14th of May, Truth Baptist Church celebrated an anniversary 17 years to the day that it was founded. It turned out to be our largest attendance on the property with about 400. We were glad to host Evangelist Doug Neary [pictured with my family] of A Look at the Book Ministries for the commemorative service, and I used the occasion to announce the rebirth of our bus ministry, as three buses were used that day. On the last Sunday of May, one of our supporting pastors, Bro. Ben Lang of Temple Baptist Church in Muncie (Indiana), preached the 8th anniversary service for Grace & Glory Baptist Church. There were 158 in attendance, including 53 visitors.

At the beginning of May, I was privileged to have an evangelist friend pay for Noah (my 3rd son) and me to join him in visiting Missionary Kevin Wynne's [pictured with Evangelist Craig Bryan] work in Mexico City. We were truly challenged by the ministries and focus of the largest independent Baptist church in the world. It was an honor to speak in a couple of their Sunday school classes and teach in their college of nearly 300 students. The trip was special for Noah as he made some new missionary kid friends and also won several people to Christ during their church-wide soulwinning.

Other notable events of these two months included the completion of our 26th semester of Providence Baptist College & Seminary. Six students have finished their training, and 30 more are now serving in 12-week internships at their home churches and

various other host ministries. Sadly, Chindo Solomon was our first student to have his schooling cut short by a disease that ended his time on this earth. On May 24th, I preached to a full auditorium [pictured] in Chindo’s hometown, and several people who gathered for his funeral heard the same Gospel that he preached faithfully during his years as a student pastor at one of our local area church plants. Lastly, the first two weeks of June was the survey trip for Coty and Allyson Powers, who quickly befriended our family when we “met” through social media contacts a few months ago. Please pray for them as they continue to raise support to come to Nigeria fully as missionaries.

Our June ended with another trip to Kumasi to partner with the FBMI Ghana Team in conducting their 4th Student Missions Institute for Training in Evangelism. This camp was unique in that it was their first graduation for 12 of the students who were faithful to each of the first four years. There was a record total of 120 registered from several churches; they conducted 19 five-day Bible clubs with 1335 children enrolled and 626 personally counseled for salvation. I was happy to have Victoria [pictured with Grace Speer] and Brian join me for this great week.

Missionary Ted Speer, Leader FBMI's Ghana Team, gives the following account of their S.M.I.T.E. and its lasting influence:

Missionary Patricia Hamburg, serving in Nigeria for more than 20 years and with us since 2011, included more highlights in her prayer letter:

The annual Soulwinning and Leadership Conference was preached and taught to a packed house! Our preachers this year were Pastor Ken Shinn from Lighthouse Baptist Church in Colombia MS and Missionary Evangelist Curtis Hall from Best Missions, Bangkok Thailand. Our host Pastor Mark Holmes and Assistant Pastor Justin Nenge also preached and taught. Split sessions were available to the men, women, and singles. I really enjoy these conferences. The in-depth, relative topics, and question and answer sessions, fellowship, and renewal of past acquaintances, are such blessings to me. Updates on the various ministries at Truth Baptist Church and Grace and Glory Baptist Church were presented each evening.

The CLI prison ministry is growing. Churches all around Nigeria are reaching out with the Bible materials to correctional facilities in their areas. Recently I spoke and taught at the local Women’s prison and the response to the gospel was amazing. I addition to the “Christian” inmates, 3 Muslim ladies came forward to receive Christ.

Our “Friends of the Deaf” continues to grow as more of our members meet weekly to learn sign language. During a recent Sunday session, a baby, born of deaf parents was dedicated after the service.

The seminary has now moved into the new addition of the hostel. Classes and sessions are now taught there. Except for Thursday and Sunday services, our school “Foundation Baptist Academy” has expanded into the entire auditorium and classrooms there.

In May, donations to complete the building on the hill are being realized. Work has started on the property to clear the grounds and construct the wall and road access to reach the new building.

Yesterday was the 17th Anniversary Celebration of Truth Baptist Church. Standing room only as people packed the house. Many came forward to receive Jesus as Savior. Our Guest preacher was Evangelist Doug Neary from the USA.

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 '23

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