The Holmes Family: November/December '25

Conferences/Camps

At the beginning of November, I traveled with Missionary Evangelists Jim Belisle and Denton Bell for a special meeting in Ibadan. I was honored to preach the anniversary service at Independent Baptist Church of Ijokodo, which had been planted 38 years before by my missions mentor who eventually hosted our survey trip, Missionary Mark Sigstad. At the anniversary and during that Tuesday’s pastors’ fellowship [seminary alumni pictured], touching tributes were made of Bro. & Mrs. Sigstad, who graduated to Heaven in July. At the end of the month, a Thanksgiving service was held at Truth Baptist Church as the start of our Spirit Renewal Meeting with Evangelist Paul Schwanke [pictured]; this was the second time for him to preach a revival and teach two days at our college. Victoria and I had our flight to Tanzania while Bro. Schwanke was departing for America; the 2nd S.M.I.T.E. in Morogoro was a great success, and we are privileged to partner with the Wyatts in these youth camps.

Family News

New and old traditions were kept during Thanksgiving and Christmas. For the second time, our family traveled about five hours by road with the Langs and Ms. Pat Hamburg to celebrate Turkey Day hosted by the Youngs (who worked with us for nearly two years) in Jos. The week was filled with great fellowship, a chili cookoff, football games, and an old-fashioned holiday dinner. In December, our family used Christmas Eve for gift exchanging and a special breakfast, because Christmas day was fairly busy with a morning service at Truth and then a missionary fellowship at our home with chili and gumbo. Sabrina and I stayed up very late that evening so that we could be on a video call to witness our oldest, Joseph, proposing to his now-fiancée, Joy Waddington [pictured]. We are thrilled to soon “officially” have Joy as a part of the Holmes family. New Year’s Eve allowed us to welcome our second son Brian for his first visit back to Nigeria, just in time to fulfill another tradition of spending a few festive nights at an area hotel.

Current Events

Nigeria continues to be highlighted in the news as the world is increasingly made more aware of the persecutions and regional conflicts occurring through the country. Especially during this time, please consider our City of Refuge; this ministry to persecuted peoples is now rehabilitating 13 families who have been affected by the insecurity in surrounding areas. Through our work, 11 former Muslims have been enrolled as students in our Bible college, and we have seen the first graduates leave Abuja and plant churches in 3 areas where no Baptist church had been started before [congregation in Adamawa state pictured]. Pray that we can get a few offerings or monthly supports for this ministry, since the requests for help have been increasing. We’re grateful for your partnership!

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

November/December '25

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