Greetings from Truth Baptist in Nyanya, where we are rejoicing in the results of our first ever youth camp. The Student Missions Institute for Training in Evangelism brought more than 70 teenagers from 15 churches, and the Bible Clubs they conducted enrolled over 2000 people, and over 1500 received Christ as Saviour. We are hearing great reports that several of the churches now have teenagers doing Bible Clubs in their area and seeing many saved!
The purpose of this letter is to invite you to the church premises in Nyanya for our first Open House of the Providence Baptist College and Seminary on Thursday, October 7. It will be a great opportunity for our students and Truth Baptist Church men’s fellowship to have a chance to interact with our area preachers. We plan to have breakfast, a special chapel service, a pastors’ forum, and a snack.
I would like to use the time after the chapel service to present new ideas, plans, and needs in our goal of planting more independent Baptist churches while being a help and a blessing to existing works. The meeting will give you a chance to respond to the thoughts given, discuss aspirations that you have, and present prayer requests. I will also have a gift for each preacher who is present.
The tentative schedule will be as follows:
9:00 a.m. Breakfast and Fellowship with students, preachers, and host church members
10:30 a.m. Chapel with Pastor Israel Thompsons
11:45 a.m. Preachers Forum
1:00 p.m. Snack
Pastors, please bring along your wife, as my wife will be hosting a tea fellowship at our house during much of the time of our Seminary Open House. Also, feel free to stay for our Prayer Meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday where Bro. David Amos of Pilgrims Baptist Church in Kubwa will be our guest preacher.
Information & Ministry Updates with Pictures & Videos from Missionaries to Nigeria
Letters for Nigerian Churches
All Updates
Profile
- Mark Holmes
- Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
- Independent Baptist Missionary in West Africa since 2005; married with 4 children
Contact Us
Nigerian Phone:
234.805.323.1487
P.O. Box 11491
Garki-Abuja FCT 900001
Nigeria
8467 Canal Road
Gulfport, MS 39503 U.S.A.
Phone: 228.863.6993
Support Address: FBMI
507 State Street
Hammond, IN 46320
Phone: 219.228.2850
For our DVD, please give us your contact info
234.805.323.1487
P.O. Box 11491
Garki-Abuja FCT 900001
Nigeria
8467 Canal Road
Gulfport, MS 39503 U.S.A.
Phone: 228.863.6993
Support Address: FBMI
507 State Street
Hammond, IN 46320
Phone: 219.228.2850
For our DVD, please give us your contact info
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 200 on Sundays with 36 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 14 graduates. 15 churches have been started by those who have been trained or ordained by their ministry. Mark and Sabrina have returned to the U.S. for the birth of their daughter (Victoria Noel 12/14/05), their "baby" (Brian Michael 8/20/07), and their youngest (Noah Preston 2/3/12).
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 200 on Sundays with 36 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 14 graduates. 15 churches have been started by those who have been trained or ordained by their ministry. Mark and Sabrina have returned to the U.S. for the birth of their daughter (Victoria Noel 12/14/05), their "baby" (Brian Michael 8/20/07), and their youngest (Noah Preston 2/3/12).
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.
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.
What We Believe
Our Statement of Faith is consistent with...
The church from which we are sent: Faith Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi
The mission board with which we are affiliated: Fundamental Baptist Missions International in Hammond, Indiana
The college from which we graduated: Hyles-Anderson College in Crown Point, Indiana
For more details, visit fbcgulfport.com, fbmi.org, or hylesanderson.com
The church from which we are sent: Faith Baptist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi
The mission board with which we are affiliated: Fundamental Baptist Missions International in Hammond, Indiana
The college from which we graduated: Hyles-Anderson College in Crown Point, Indiana
For more details, visit fbcgulfport.com, fbmi.org, or hylesanderson.com