The Holmes Family: May/June '24

Our family arrived in Miami on May 7th for a short furlough to celebrate Victoria’s high school graduation, firstly with a “senior trip” to the Florida Keys [pictured at Key West]. On 14 May, she walked at ABeka’s homeschool program in Pensacola, and the next week she took part in our sending church’s baccalaureate service and academy commencement in Gulfport [Victoria pictured with her Mom and Nana after her senior recital]. At the same time, Joseph received an associate’s degree in aviation maintenance from Baton Rouge Community College; he has already secured a good job with an aerial photography company at the local Hammond airport in south Louisiana while he continues to pursue his pilot’s license. So, we had one graduate from college, another complete high school, and our youngest (Aaron) finish kindergarten in the month of May! We plan to be home at the same time next year for Brian’s high school graduation. Noah (12) is at the perfect age to take part in both junior and youth camps this summer, and LaDonna turns 10 in July.

During the week of Memorial Day in Louisiana, our family once again took part in the Summer Missionary Institute for Training and Evangelism [pastor Adewale's first time at Louisiana SMITE, pictured with Aunt Vicki Purtell, the founder's wife], a ministry of Sabrina’s home church. The week after, I had the privilege of being a keynote speaker in the 20th Deep South Youth Conference at our sending church. By the 2nd week of June, Brian and Victoria were off to travel with a child evangelist for three weeks of a Bible Club Blitz at churches in New Orleans, Walls (MS), and Harselle (AL). My month of meetings included travels to Charlotte, Maine, and St. Louis.

While stateside, we have heard great reports from both of our churches in Abuja. Truth Baptist celebrated its 18th anniversary on May 12th with over 600 in attendance during a visitors’ month, and Grace & Glory Baptist held its 9th anniversary service on May 26th with nearly 200 in attendance. Our family will return to Nigeria on the first week of August in time for our seminary’s orientation, three youth camps in four weeks, and two more pastors’ conferences before the end of the year.

One of the best tools that a pastor can have to multiply his efforts in planting a church (or even starting a second church) is to have a reliable means of transportation, most accessibly in the form of a motorcycle. Currently we have at least 6 situations where an “okada” could accelerate the progress of a new church plant or assist a pastor who is navigating the challenge of overseeing multiple works. We would be thrilled for any church to partner with us for the $700 that it costs for each motorbike. We’ll be sure to send individual reports on any purchase.

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 '24

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