September/October '24

Through our affiliation with Christian Media International, we have been operating a fully equipped audio/video studio in the southwest region of Nigeria for three years and are now televising seven weekly Gospel programs in six languages. As a way for CMI to fulfill humanitarian efforts through missionary partners, Impact Others explores more unique ways to spread the message of salvation. Working with Impact Others, multiple widows’ meetings have been conducted, often bringing in over 200 ladies for a Gospel message and a gift of various foods and toiletries; furthermore, the ministry of benevolence has funded a new business for several of these ladies to help support their families. An orphanage with which we partner has received assistance through IO, and, recently, we were given support to enable three churches to do boreholes on their properties; as a result of these mechanized wells, not only is clean water provided to parishioners but also a tap is opened for the public to use, and we are regularly hearing testimonies of people gladly listening to the Gospel and receiving Christ when they come to freely draw water from the church. At the end of September, one of the beneficiary churches held a commissioning service [pictured] in our honor to thank CMI for their new borehole. Also, Sabrina and I had the privilege to make a quick trip to Egypt [dinner along the Nile, pictured below] in the middle of October to see more Impact Others projects with CMI’s founder and their CFO. 

In the middle of September, my son Brian and I honored the invitation for me to preach the missions conference at Colorado Springs Baptist Church. Pastor Jason Brockman and I were roommates during my freshman year at Hyles-Anderson College, and we have kept in touch for nearly thirty years. I hardly saw Brian throughout our week in the U.S., as he thoroughly enjoyed himself with the pastor’s family and the church’s youth group, while I had several great opportunities to fellowship with men of God during meals and church services [missionaries pictured with the pastor]. We went home with suitcases full of gifts and snacks, checks for our building projects, and delightful meditations of a friendship rekindled and potential partnerships established. 

Truth Baptist Church’s working relationship with Port Harcourt Independent Baptist Church provided the remaining highlights of the last two months. Just days after the S.M.I.T.E. at PHIBC, our TBC members and seminary students conducted a Vacation Bible School during the second week of September before schools here began a new year. A high attendance of over 500 was recorded during the three-day event. Two of our longtime members were married [ceremony pictured] on the third Saturday in October, and, on the third Sunday of October, as the founder of Truth Baptist, I encouraged our members to hold the first ever Appreciation Day for the three pastors on our church staff. Each Sunday School class came up with their own gift and presentation at the end of the Sunday morning service; the great participation of the church and obvious delight in the pastors has ensured that this day will become an annual tradition at TBC. A Soul Winning and Leadership Conference at PHIBC capped off the month of October as Missionary Evangelists Jim Belisle and Denton Bell joined me for the special meeting of churches with a missions emphasis; for this particular conference, there were a record number of churches (25) represented. 

July/August '24

Our furlough continued in July with a few Independence Day celebrations: fireworks at our sending church after the mid-week service, dinner at our pastor’s home the next evening, and activities at my
mom’s assisted living facility on the morning and afternoon of the 4th. The next week, our family did a mini-concert, ministry presentation, and Bible study for Mom’s friends at the Claiborne in Gulfport, where she has been living since just after Thanksgiving. It has been encouraging to see my mother improve in all facets of life over the last nine months. 

In mid-July, for the first-time ever, a Summer Missionary Institute for Training and Evangelism was conducted at a venue in the U.S. outside of Louisiana or Mississippi. Sabrina, her mother, and I, along with Joseph, Victoria, and Brian, were privileged to take part in New England S.M.I.T.E. [sightseeing in Philadelphia pictured after the camp], held on the campus of New England Baptist College. My pastor was the keynote speaker, and it was an honor to preach once on the same platform with Bro. Carr. We also were thrilled to have Sabrina’s home pastor (Bro. Bartlett) leading singing [pictured above during morning devotions], the founders of S.M.I.T.E. (the Purtells) teaching, and members of the Blitz team (from the Louisiana camp) helping us lead Bible clubs during the week. We’re thankful to Pastor Richard LeJeune and White Oak Baptist Church sponsoring the camp. A total of 51 people were registered and involved, and over 70 people were saved in the five-day clubs!

On August 8th, our family landed in Nigeria for a full month of activities. The week after we arrived, I was honored to be the keynote speaker for the Pastors & Workers Conference at Fundamental Baptist Church International in Kumasi, Ghana. Being with our FBMI Ghana Team is always an edifying time of fellowship, and it was a delight to teach and preach on the theme of Developing Leaders to the congregants who gathered from different churches for the morning and evening sessions [invitation during a youth session pictured]; Tuesday night was a high attendance of nearly 1000! In Nigeria, three Student Missions Institutes for Training in Evangelism [pictured below: blitz coordinator, director, level coordinator] were conducted in four weeks. A grand total of 475 young people registered, and they had 4726 children enrolled in 80 five-day clubs during the three weeks. On August 13th, a new semester of Providence Baptist College & Seminary began with 7 new students and 39 total men and ladies enrolled. Please pray with us for God to use our college students!  

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. 

March/April '24

Early in March, the members of Grace & Glory Baptist unanimously and joyously promoted Bro. Adewale Adesina to be their senior pastor. Since the middle of 2015, I’ve been co-pastoring two churches simultaneously, so it is a big change; I do continue to work with Pastor Adewale in the college, preach regularly at GGBC, and wear gladly the honor of “founder” of a strong and growing work in Nigeria’s capital city. In our first church plant, Truth Baptist, great growth has endured over the last 11 months. We are averaging over 350 on Sunday mornings [pictured, another full house], unprecedented in the church’s 18-year history. On the second Sunday morning of March, TBC members invited the parents of children from our 24 weekly Bible clubs, resulting in a record-setting attendance of 778 (over 100 visitors)!  

Truth Baptist’s Soul Winning & Leadership Conference (SWLC) was held on the first four days of April. We were thankful to once again host Pastor Ken Shinn from Columbia, Mississippi. Bro. Curtis Hall of BEST Missions brought with him from Arkansas Bro. James Abbey; Tim Currington [pictured with our Nigerian director and a PAI preacher from the Philippines], the director of Prison Alliance International (PAI) also made his first visit to Nigeria for the meeting. By successfully combining the conference with a training session of prison ministry workers from around the country, our 15th Annual SWLC recorded 54 churches represented, the highest number ever! [delegates pictured below during a day session] PAI has helped us expand a five-year-old prison ministry here to over 40 correctional facilities in 16 states. The next week, Bro. Hall and Bro. Abbey joined me to Cross River State for a great SWLC at Independent Baptist Church of Calabar. 

June 1st will be 19 years since Sabrina and I first came to West Africa, and the Lord has graciously allowed us to host more than 90 American visitors, several on multiple occasions. However, Nigeria’s procedure for a two-year (sometimes less) multiple re-entry visa is one of the most difficult in its application process, hindering more people from scheduling trips to see our ministry. Conversely, in April, four of our guests took advantage of a new visa-on-arrival; all I needed from them was their flight itinerary, passport data page, address, signature, and a photo for a 30-day visa that costs $260. Additionally, we just hosted three preachers from Rock of Ages Ministries, and they received from the Consulate of Atlanta (others have received from New York City and Washington, D.C.) multiple re-entry visas for five years! I’m writing all of this to encourage more our supporters to prayerfully consider taking a missions journey to Nigeria. 

Missionary Evangelist Curtis Hall of BEST Missions, gave an account in his prayer letter of his visit: 

April first found me in Nigeria, Africa, getting ready to kick off the Soul Winning and Leadership Conference for Missionary Mark Holmes and Truth Baptist Church in Abuja. It was a blessed conference! There were 68 Nigerian churches represented and 61 Senior Pastors in attendance along with several more assistant Pastors, and Evangelists. The 40 students of Providence Baptist Seminary in Abuja, which is a ministry of Truth Baptist, were in attendance as well. I was blessed to preach alongside Pastor Ken Shinn and Bro. James Abbey. While it was a Pastors Conference, appeals to the lost were still made at invitation time. There were 2 men and a young boy who all trusted Christ as Saviour. Glory! Many other decisions were made by the believers in attendance.

After the conference in Abuja, we rested for a day then Bro. Holmes, Bro. Abbey, and I traveled to Calabar, Nigeria, to preach a regional Soul Winning and Leadership Conference for Nigerian Pastor Nicholas Wayih and the folks of Independent Baptist Church. There were 14 Nigerian churches represented and 13 Nigerian Senior Pastors along with several other assistant Pastors. There were six people who trusted Christ as Saviour at this conference. 

During the conference in Abuja one day, Bro. Holmes made a statement about Nigeria, He said the new motto for the country should be, “Nigeria – It’s Not Easy!” This was my fourth trip to Nigeria, and I concur with Bro. Holmes. Most of the days in Abuja were over 100 degrees and on Tuesday it was 112 degrees. The churches do not have air conditioning and you feel blessed if they have ceiling fans or the church has power to run the fans. I tell you this to give you a plea, if you support a missionary in a third world country, pray for them, probably more than others. After each trip to Nigeria, I am always thankful for the times I minister in Southeast Asia and the States more and more.

January/February '24

After already enjoying a nice holiday break from our kids’ homeschooling and my seminary teaching, we rejoiced to have our oldest son Joseph visit us from the U.S. At both churches in which our family is involved, members were happy to see our whole family together [pictured singing a special] once again. During Joseph’s trip, Providence Baptist College & Seminary had its orientation and welcomed 11 new students for a total enrollment of 39. 

On January 20th, the 8th Commencement was held for 19 graduates [most pictured] from Providence Baptist College & Seminary and 13 who received their diplomas from Temple Baptist Institute. Our total number of those who have passed through ministry training is now nearly 200, and, so far, the graduates have started 50 churches. We were honored to have a good friend, Pastor Samuel Akande, preach the graduation charge, a chapel challenge, both Sunday services, and a banquet message for us during the special weekend.

On the first weekend in February, I met Pastor Akande [pictured with delegate and Bro. Don] at his place, as he hosted Missionary Evangelist Don Wattenbarger and me for a Pastors & Workers Conference at Faith Baptist Church in Ogbomoso. This meeting in the southwest region was also a chance for me to fellowship again with national missionary Pastor David Orus, who has a new church plant in Lagos, the area of our country’s highest population. The trip back to Abuja was challenging, as a return flight from Ilorin was cancelled, and our most reliable alternative was to travel five hours in Faith’s church bus to Lagos and get an evening flight back to Abuja. The next day, I drove with my family for over four hours to Jos, while Missionary Graham Young followed behind us in his vehicle with Bro. Wattenbarger. This Soul Winning & Leadership Conference, hosted by Zion Independent Baptist Church, was a special time for several of our seminary students to fellowship with seven young men who are training in our extension college, held at Zion, that is a cooperative effort of several independent Baptist Hausa-speaking pastors. Immediately after the conference, my family was able to take advantage of a Missionary Rest Home, located just 45 minutes outside of Jos. Spending three-nights at this retreat center, with a rich history and cooler weather, was a great respite after back-to-back pastors conferences. 

For nearly three years, we have enjoyed a partnership with Christian Media International, through which there are now six weekly television programs airing in five different Nigerian languages. In late February, CMI gave me the privilege of reporting on the progress of those programs at their Limits Conference [pictured with keynote Joe Theismann] in Alpharetta, Georgia. It was a unique opportunity to get to know some of the businesspersons, pastors, and other ministry leaders whose investments make it possible to broadcast the Gospel in Nigeria. 

Missionary Timothy Ojo, founder of Faith Baptist Church in Ogbomoso, gave the following report on his church's anniversary and conference. He begins the paragraph with, "We celebrated our 20th Anniversary on February the....

November/December '23

In four out of the last five years, we have been privileged to conduct six pastors’ conferences in the three main regions of Nigeria. The last two conferences of 2023 were completed successfully at the beginning of November in the cities of Port Harcourt and Ibadan with the help of two great host churches and our guest missionary evangelists, Jim Belisle with FBMI [pictured teaching a church workers' sesssion] and Denton Bell with International World Wide Evangelism. 

Every once in a while, the Lord allows us to have visitors just for our family and to remind us of all the sensations we first experienced when we came to Nigeria nearly 19 years ago. Such was the case hosting the Fitzpatrick family in the middle of November. Kyle [pictured speaking at Truth Baptist] was one of my members in a young adult Sunday School class that Sabrina and I started at our sending church before we began deputation; he and his wife, Emily, are friends with whom we do not fail to get together during every furlough, and their son, Silas, became fast friends with our Noah on this trip. We had a wonderful time fellowshipping together and introducing them to fellow missionaries, two churches, seminary students, children’s Bible classes and clubs, and our academy. 

Just after Thanksgiving, I was able to make a brief trip to the U.S. to help my brother to move our mother [pictured with Joseph in her new place] into an assisted-living apartment in Gulfport. This was something that had been “in the works” for several months but was hastened by a fall that Mom took in the beginning of November. We’re thankful that she was not wounded, that she has a great long-term care policy, and that we’ve already seen improvements from a few previous injuries through a physical therapy program that is much more convenient from her new apartment. I returned a couple of weeks before Christmas, in time to take part in the cantatas at both of our churches, share in two staff fellowship meals, conduct the Christmas Day service at Truth Baptist, have a New Year’s Day barbecue with Grace & Glory Baptist, and enjoy a multi-day hotel stay for a family vacation. 

For nearly two years, the co-pastor at Grace & Glory Baptist and faculty at our seminary, Adewale Adesina, has been partnering with Robert Smith, former missionary in Nigeria serving in Barbados, to raise funds for every independent Baptist church in Nigeria to receive a three-year illustrated Sunday school curriculum that we are printing “in house” through Pastor Adewale’s Great Company Multimedia. Miraculously, at $180 per set, 97 churches have joyously received the teaching material [a recipient, one of our graduates, pictured]. There are at least 20 more churches, who are represented annually in our pastors’ conferences and youth camps, that we would like to assist with your help and support. View Bro. Smith’s video www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YeepDRO1pI (testimony of project begins at 2:15), or get in touch with me for more details. 

Missionary Evangelist Doug Neary of A Look at the Book Ministries, details the investment he made in a recent container of Bibles that was sent our way:

During my last Nigeria trip, I was able to visit with Pastor Mark Holmes in Abuja, Nigeria. Paster Holmes told me about a ministry in Statesboro, GA that sends him a container every year. I told him that I could send Bibles if I knew when the next container was being sent. In October, Pastor Holmes called and said that Direct Line Ministry was ready to order the container and that if I wanted to send Bibles, I could. I felt led to order 25 cases of Bibles from Bibles by Bulk and have them shipped to me with free shipping. Each case contained 24 Bibles and cost $120.00 per case. In total, we received 600 Bibles for a total cost of $3,000.00. We have a separate Bible fund and we had received monies towards that fund. During our trip to Nigeria, we divided these funds and gave a portion to each of the cites that I visited. Once we received the Bibles, my wife and I loaded them in our van and took them to Statesboro, GA. We are still able to receive used Bibles to ship to Nigeria. Your gift towards the fund or Bibles (used or new) are much appreciated in our goal to spread the Word to the people of Nigeria.

September/October '23

At the beginning of September, I got the chance to close out our three weeks of youth camps by conducting the S.M.I.T.E. graduation in Nigeria’s southeast. In total, the Student Missions Institutes for Training in Evangelism (held in Ogbomoso, Abuja, and Port Harcourt) welcomed nearly 500 campers from over 100 churches and enrolled more than 3800 children to hear the Gospel in five-day Bible clubs. Outside of Nigeria, in addition to the camps already being held in Kenya (for the last 3 years) and Ghana (which held its first graduation this year), our ministry is scheduled to start a new S.M.I.T.E. each year. Uganda began this year in September, and S.M.I.T.E. New England will be held in July of next year at Connecticut; Tanzania is our new camp for 2025 (technically in December of next year), and plans are underway to partner with FBMI’s Team Thailand for a Student Missions Institute for Training in Evangelism in 2026. Evangelist Ajayi and Pastor Adewale successfully started the work in Uganda [flier pictured] with 68 registered students representing 14 churches; they enrolled more than 1200 people in 10 Bible clubs and saw over 600 saved. 

Also in September, for the third time ever, our mission board conducted a Mastermind, this time in Istanbul, Turkey. Mastermind gathers FBMI’s staff members and missionaries from around the world in a forum designed as an exchange of ideas and strategies for a better fulfillment of the Great Commission. This time, it was a joy to attend with Sabrina [pictured with me and fellow missionaries], do some sightseeing and souvenir shopping, and have the chance to see firsthand the work that some of our missionaries are doing in a difficult part of the world. 

In October, my family had the great privilege of traveling to Thailand to introduce child evangelism for missionaries working with our mission board’s team. We did three days of training for about 30 people; then two churches conducted five Bible clubs the next week. The trip was truly one my favorite things I have ever done in ministry because my whole family was involved in the training. I did the teaching sessions, Sabrina demonstrated the club Bible lessons, Victoria gave Wordless Book demos [pictured], and Brian taught a missionary story each day. The remaining time was filled with sightseeing, visiting both churches, enjoying family time, and fellowshipping with missionary friends. 

Church highlights for the two months included hosting our mission board president and his wife for a ladies’ conference and church revival meeting. Dr. & Mrs. Mark Bosje visited with the families working together here, ministered in both churches, and gave us plenty of opportunities for fellowship. During the Spirit Renewal Meeting, we hosted an open house for the seminary students and area pastors [prayer meeting on our new auditorium site pictured], and we held a second-ever training seminar for pastors and workers involved in our outreach to prisons. Lastly, our fourth and fifth times to have an attendance of over 400 in just the last five months at Truth Baptist came courtesy of the ordination of a new deacon and also a Sunday when we invited the parents of our academy students. 

Pastor Timothy Adesina of Berean Baptist Church in Ogbomoso, testifies of our ministry to help churches to have a way to train their members for service: 

Since the commencement of the grand opening of the Temple Bible Institute and the first sample class under which those who registered were orientated on what it is all about, the Lord has been helping us to continue where Missionary Pastor Daniel Lang and Evangelist Tunde Ajayi left off. With 20 students attending each of the classes, there is no doubt the students were being exposed to truth of the Bible they never knew before. I want to thank God for the life of Missionary Mark Holmes, who made all of this possible by giving us the Temple Bible Institute curriculum and assisting us in sending his men to do the grand opening. This required intellectual and financial investments. Pray that God will bless our efforts and cause all the enrollees to embrace the truth.

[Sample flier for the institutes]

 Pastor Friday Godwin of First Independent Baptist Church of Gasaki, does a Mobile Institute, ensuring that several village churches can have ministry training: 

So far we have 3 churches where we hold the teaching, which includes Gasaki, Gbugbu, and Gamgi. I'm excited by the turn out at Gamgi and Gbugbu centers where we had a total of 25 students. I and Pastor Timothy also visited the churches in Ankara; we had a meeting with the members in the three churches to start institutes there. For now, 3 other churches join us for the institute at Gasaki. There, we have classes for both church workers and pastors’ wives. 

 

July/August '23

The two months of summer opened with an American Independence Day celebration among our missionary families joined by a friend and fellow college administrator as our special guest. Pastor Ezra Owolabi of Blue Mountain Baptist College in Ogbomoso preached for us on the first Sunday of July, and we were privileged to have his whole family stay in our home and join us for the 4th of July festivities. 

Since Truth Baptist Church’s 17th Anniversary in mid-May, our staff has focused on six areas of growth that have helped to bring our average attendance to around 300 for the first time ever. We have baptized converts [special river baptism pictured] every Sunday except for one, added two new Sunday school classes, consistently run two (and sometimes three) buses into the local areas, revived a Saturday workers’ meeting, and gotten more men involved in doing a visitors’ meeting after the services (so that each man can focus on one or two visitors). The sixth area of emphasis is having several men do soul-winning every day; each of our staff members have picked a day to go out with two of our recent graduates and a couple of interns we had during the seminary break. These focus items culminated in a Friend Day in July where we had 522 people on property, another attendance record!

Other highlights included a new semester of Providence Baptist College & Seminary beginning in the middle of August with seven freshmen, bringing our total enrollment to 36 resident students. Grace & Glory Baptist Church installed a baptistery; before, we were using a church member’s swimming pool for baptisms. Our biggest family highpoint was hosting my oldest son, Joseph, and my mother-in-law [pictured together with Joseph's siblings] for nearly two weeks while he was on break from studying aviation at the local community college in my wife’s home area. He took part in our Abuja S.M.I.T.E.; I will give the totals of the three camps in our next letter. 

We have the following updates on our two building projects: floor tiles have been laid for the dormitory building, and the next step is the two bathrooms and ceiling fans in all rooms; the church property has been fenced, an access road has been added, and we’ve gotten a detailed estimate on what it will take to add pillars and a roof to our foundation for a new auditorium. Please allow me to add two other major prayer requests for your consideration. Our Foundations Baptist Academy is now in its third year and is needing several things in order to expand to a full grade school. About $7000 could buy necessary furniture, bookcases, playground equipment, and teaching materials. Lastly, the City of Refuge, our ministry that houses and trains former Muslims affected by persecution, needs about $5000 to complete kitchen and bathroom facilities. In January, this unique ministry will witness its first three seminary graduates receive their degrees, potentially to start churches in states where there are no independent Baptist churches; six currently enrolled seminary students [four pictured] were originally reached by the City of Refuge, so we feel this work is truly worthy of your investment!

Global Baptist Church Planters has partnered with our ministry since 2015 to help us plant numerous churches. The following is a description of their newly launched Global Baptist Initiative: 

In our travels to meet with our Partner missionaries and our Pioneer church planters, we have constantly been confronted with the needs of the national pastors - needs that reach beyond the monthly support we provide. In cases of catastrophe, we have raised support to rebuild destroyed churches and parsonages, but Global Baptist Church Planters has remained focused on church planting and providing ongoing support to Pioneers. Being aware of the challenges faced by the church planters and their families, however, has moved our hearts. We could address these challenges w

ith little difficulty, yet they are nearly insurmountable to our national friends. A need of $5000 might as well be $5 million to them. With these needs in mind and through the stirring of the Holy Spirit, GBCP has prayerfully decided to create a pipeline for American dollars to be directed toward the needs of our Pioneer brethren. Allow me to share with you some examples:

* A church in Nigeria is in a village whose well has run dry. People are walking miles to source water from surrounding villages. Funds for a well would create a sure water supply for the church members and the villagers as well. It would make the church a force for good in the eyes of the people.

* A church has no roof on their facility. They have literally made and stacked bricks for the walls, but that effort cost them all that they had. A roof would provide shelter for the congregation and act as floor space for another level when weather permits.

* A church planter has started two churches. He must travel back and forth between the two congregations to keep them going. Travel by walking is very difficult. A used motorcycle would make such a difference.

It is with great excitement that we announce Global Baptist Church Planters has launched a parallel ministry called the Global Baptist Initiative. The mission statement of this Initiative is: Helping People That Are Reaching People. GBI will provide ministries and individuals in the US an opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of our current and former national Pioneers. Should the Lord lead you to participate, your donations will remove roadblocks that potentially hinder the spread of the gospel. The ministry of Global Baptist Church Planters will continue its focus on establishing churches around the world. That effort will not be diminished by the arrival of the Initiative. These are two separate ministries. One to provide the funds to start and build churches; one to provide the means to deal with the major challenges of the ministries. Peachtree Road Baptist Church will continue to provide oversight and direction to both entities.  Please consider joining us in this new endeavor. You have given sacrificially to start these churches. Would you now prayerfully consider helping these same churches prevail in the fight?

Dr. Jay Reed, Director GBCP and GB

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.

March/April '23

In the middle of March, we received not only an amazing opportunity but also a well-timed answer to prayer. White Oak Baptist Church in Stratford, Connecticut, arranged for Sabrina and me to be their special guests during the church’s annual missions conference. I spoke six times in four days, met several new missionary and church friends, enjoyed the fellowship and activities, and was honored by the generous gifts and royal treatment that my wife and I received. Sabrina had been praying that we could see our oldest son before his upcoming August visit, and we were able to take three days before the conference to visit Joseph [pictured with my mom and brother], tour his school, see relatives, and soak up some “tastes of home” in the Baton Rouge area. 

For the first time since 2014, we were thrilled to host our pastor friend who helped me conduct our initial six Soul Winning & Leadership Conferences (SWLC), Bro. Ken Shinn of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Columbia, Mississippi [pictured being honored by Pastor Adewale]. He joined Missionary Evangelist Curtis Hall for Truth Baptist Church’s 14th SWLC in Abuja. We welcomed pastors and workers from more than 40 churches, and for the first time, there was a full day dedicated to well-received lessons and sermons on marriage. Bro. Hall then traveled with me for the 5th  SWLC that we have held in Aba, Abia State. There are now 10 different churches who have hosted our special meetings which are designed to help independent Baptist churches throughout Africa’s most populous nation. 

Other highlights for these two spring months included the hosting of potentially new missionaries to Nigeria, the Barker family. Then, a first-ever two-day seminar was held for preachers who are currently reaching their local prisons or who desire to get access to inmates in their area for preaching and discipleship; great Easter services were experienced in both churches where our family is involved, and an ordination [council pictured] was accomplished for one of our institute graduates and longtime Truth Baptist Church member who now pastors in a nearby village. For our seminary, a four-day AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) training was conducted, and students were able to participate in a 10-day outreach to a church more than a 12-hour drive away, where, through their efforts in soul-winning and Bible clubs, more than 700 people were saved.   

Unexpectantly, we received a sizable investment from an anonymous donor for the building of a new Truth Baptist Church auditorium on the other side of our property. For years, we have sought permission from government authorities to use an already-existing foundation for our first church; during the expansion of our seminary hostel, the development control department finally approved our plans. It should take about $60,000 to add pillars and a roof to make the area usable on Sundays, and we have already received one-third of what is needed! There is still much work to do on our previous project (plumbing, electrical, ceilings, and flooring), but please join us in prayer and consider donating as we take the steps to add a needed building that will truly help our church to grow. 

Jeremy Barker, missionary on deputation to Nigeria, wrote in his prayer letter a summary of his family's visit to us: 
In Abuja I was able to spend time with veteran missionary Mark Holmes, as well as Daniel Lang, Graham Young, and over 40 national pastors. Drawing from their wealth of knowledge and experience was a tremendous help. I also had the opportunity to do the following: 
• Attend an inaugural Prison Ministry seminar.
• Preach in chapel at Providence Baptist College.
• Teach an adult Sunday School class.
• Preach with a Hausa interpreter at the City of Refuge (a shelter for Christians escaping persecution in Muslim occupied areas of Nigeria).
• Tour the facilities of an orphanage and meet with the children & staff.
• Go soul winning with a group of nationals.
• Visit 2 different churches.
• Visit various church members in their homes.
• Sit in during discipleship of a newly converted Christian who wants to get baptized.

Missionary Evangelist Curtis Hall of BEST Missions described his visit to our ministry:

I traveled to Nigeria, Africa, and spent 15 days with Missionary Mark Holmes. I arrived in Nigeria on Good Friday and was honored to preach at both churches Bro. Holmes has started in the capital city 

of Abuja. On the 10th, Bro. Holmes kicked off their 14th Soul Winning and Leadership Conference at Truth Baptist Church in Abuja. There were 37 churches registered for the conference, over 40 different Pastors, Evangelists, and Missionaries as well as 40 Seminary students. Quite a few church members from the 37 registered churches came as well. The church building was so full each night that there were people outside the building listening. I shared the pulpit and teaching sessions with Bro. Holmes, Assistant Pastor Justin Nenge, and Pastor Ken Shinn from Mississippi. There were many decisions made by those in attendance and six men surrendered to preach. BEST Missions was able to help supply every Pastor with a two-volume set of Sunday School lessons provided by Pastor Scott Baker of Faith Baptist in Belleville, IL. I was also able to present a leather Bible to the five young men who will be graduating from the Seminary. 

After the conference in Abuja, Bro. Holmes and I traveled to Aba, Nigeria, to conduct a Soul Winning and Leadership Conference for Pastor Chibuike and Faith Baptist in Aba. There were 15 different churches registered for the conference. There were several visitors who came on Sunday who trusted Christ as Saviour, seven of those were adults. At the close of the conference on Tuesday night, there were four more adults who trusted Christ as Saviour. 

Missionary Daniel and Erin Lang hosted me in their home again for this trip. I greatly appreciate them helping me adjust to the weather and other conditions in Nigeria. I recorded the inside temperature at one point in their home at 94 degrees! All the missionaries working with Bro. Holmes I would recommend, but I have had the opportunity to stay and observe the Langs in a private setting, I highly recommend them if you are looking for a missionary family. 

January/February '23

After a relaxing Christmas holiday, the year started busily and victoriously as we quickly realized that this would be a historic semester for our full-time ministry training school. Providence Baptist College & Seminary welcomed a record 13 new students for a total enrollment of 40 [pictured out soulwinning with intern, Katie Holt] for the first time ever. Our part-time ministry training school also broke new ground by having three of our new missionaries teaching classes both on Saturday afternoons and Sunday evenings. We are keeping the regular Truth Baptist evening service schedule and making space for discipleship meetings and Temple Baptist Institute courses. 

January 22nd was a highlight for our ministry as the second floor of our dormitory was dedicated with prayer and a special service where my missionary mentor, Ron Gensaw [pictured with former members of the church he started], gave a testimony. Humanly speaking, we would not have the property or the church without the guidance of the one who first welcomed my family to Nigeria in 2005, and it was a privilege to host him for the first time in 14 years. 

As has been the case over the last several years, any two-month period is filled with travels and conferences. I was able to take Brian with me on a trip to Enugu in January to visit three different ministries and intervene in a church that needed help. A special Missions Sunday and stewardship banquet was held at Grace & Glory Baptist [pictured above] on the last Sunday of January. Next, Missionary Evangelists [pictured with the conference hosts]

Jim Belisle from FBMI and Don Wattenbarger of Bibles Beyond Boundaries joined with me to conduct a Pastors’ & Workers Conference in Ogbomoso and a Soul Winning & Leadership Conference in Jos during the first two weeks of February. Other visitors included an intern from Vision Baptist Missions and the parents and sisters of Mrs. Olivia Young, who has been serving here with her husband since August of last year. 

A final high point for the first two months of 2023 was the start of a new ministry inspired by the co-pastor of Grace & Glory, Adewale Adesina. Three missions-themed youth conferences, under the tagline of “Who Will Go,” have been planned in different regions of Nigeria [Ibadan conference delegation pictured. Special features of each youth meeting are mission-themed sermons and lessons from our new missionaries, forums with those interested in missions, and follow-up to guide potential future ministers through the process of training and launching. Please pray for the long-term effects of these conferences and also for our country as we are entering a potentially tense election season. 

Missionary Evangelist Jeff Walters included in his prayer letter an update on the Bible clubs and Bible studies that our seminary students conduct each semester:

We thank the Lord for His blessings and strength. We also thank God for the life of our supporting brothers around us Evangelist Jeff Walters and Pastor Mark Holmes. This just concluded month was focused on keeping our clubbers in the club. We started a contest that included a rule that if a clubber did not attend all the weeks, he/she would not be able to participate in questions and answers to win prizes or gifts. We have not yet completed the series of lessons that we planned but already, over 700 souls have professed Christ as their Lord and Saviour during our emphasis. This month, one of the plans that is a priority is to set a time to meet with our clubbers parents once again through visitations to their houses. This will enable us to witness to many about salvation again. 

The House Fellowship and Bible Study cells are also doing very well to the glory of God. Please, pray with us. We need strength for the teachers and spiritual growth for all our clubbers. As we have stated in our previous reports that, the acquisition of games materials and other logistics needed in the ministry has helped the ministry moving forward and children are happy to be part of it. Glory be to God, this passed month we had a successful AWANA Seed Planters training for all the Seminarians. 31 seminary students were trained on the importance of children ministry, Especially in having AWANA as part of their children and teenagers training in their various churches. We covet your prayers as you supports, and we are ready to do more as God leads and strengthen us all. 

November/December '22

In the history of our ministry, I don’t know that we have ever experienced a span of six weeks that was more packed with activity than the eleventh month of 2022 through the first twelve days of December. November 1st and 2nd were the closing services of another successful Missions & Leadership Conference at Independent Baptist Church of Port Harcourt [presentation from PBC&S graduates pictured] with Missionary Evangelists Jeff Walters, Denton Bell, and Jim Belisle. The trio of guest preachers also partnered with me for a Pastors & Workers Fellowship at Victory Independent Baptist Church of Ibadan the next week. 

Not long after those visitors returned to America, we welcomed Pastor Jay Reed [pictured with 3 graduates] and his son, Austin, of Global Baptist Church Planters, who joined Missionary Evangelist Curtis Hall of BEST Missions for a Spirit Renewal Meeting that was hosted by both Abuja churches where I am co-pastoring. Grace & Glory and Truth Baptist each conducted a soul-winning Saturday, regular Sunday services, and a weekday revival service. An open house for Providence Baptist College & Seminary was held on Monday, and many area pastors (several who have been helped by Global) were present. Bro. Hall then joined my family, Ms. Pat, and three missionary couples working with us for the 4th Annual Soul-Winning & Leadership Conference at Zion Independent Baptist Church in Jos. The fellowship among us foreigners and with the members and area pastors was wonderful, and our drive together to and from Plateau State was successful. 

While the Youngs, Patricks, Christiansens, Langs, [men pictured with me] and Ms. Pat all gathered at our house for Thanksgiving, Truth Baptist Church, along with Missionary Olawale Orekan, hosted the first annual camp for our Friends of the Deaf ministry. More than 120 Nigerian deaf people gathered for the multi-day event that concluded on Sunday with dozens professing salvation and thirteen following the Lord in baptism. It was especially gratifying to see our staff organize a program from start to finish with very little involvement from me. The dawn of a new month did not slow things down, as Mrs. Emily Christiansen organized our pastors’ wives and other missionary wives for an inaugural Women of Truth ladies’ conference. A Thursday and Friday youth conference followed soon after at Truth Baptist Church, and our almost overwhelming schedule concluded with a refreshing first-ever marriage retreat for Grace & Glory Baptist Church hosted by Missionary Garan Patrick.  

Our break officially began with the Providence Baptist College & Seminary students writing their last exam on December 15. Both of our churches held cantatas on the 11th and 18th, Sabrina [Victoria, pictured, joining her to play] and I hosted a staff holiday fellowship at our house on the 23rd, and it felt like home once again to have all the missionaries with us after church on Christmas Day. Our kids opened presents on Christmas Eve, and the next week included a special three nights at
a local hotel where we filled the days with games, fellowship, and going out to eat. Thank you for your support and prayers throughout 2022!

Missionary Patricia Hamburg shared more details of these 2 months in her prayer letter:

• On our annual Thanksgiving and Spirit Renewal Meeting combined with a Saturday Soul-winning Day and Seminary Open House we were privileged to listen to great men of God, Brother Denton Bell, Evangelist James Belisle, Brother Curtis Hall, Evangelist Jay Reed and Pastor Austin Reed who preached lessons on thankfulness, gratitude, reaching all nations, and struggling through the trials of life. We were so blessed to have these faithful visitors willing to come to Nigeria to minister to us.

• The 3-day annual Soul-winning and Leadership in Zarazon, Plateau State was a success. Many pastors and their wives travelled to listen and learn from Pastor Ayuba, Bro. Curtis Hall, and Mark Holmes.

• Truth Baptist Church held its first 3-day program for the “Friends of the Deaf ministry”. We were joined by Pastor Orekon and Pastor Shola who pastor at other deaf ministries in Nigeria. It was standing room only in the auditorium. TBC workers and interpreters as well as some of our seminary students participated (many improved their sign language skills). I was blessed to teach 2 classes for the deaf women on Friday and Saturday. Talks are underway for another conference in 2023.

• Missionary Mrs. Emily Christiansen held a day of teaching for the “Women of Truth” ladies. The theme was “A Godly Heritage”. A significant number of our TBC ladies and older teens attended and were taught by pastor and missionary wives. My lesson detailed what it’s like to serve the Lord after age 50 and beyond. Great music, fellowship, and food. She is planning a 3-day conference for National pastor’s wives in 2023.

• Pastor Justin & Mrs. Nenge, and I travelled to Benue State to a traditional wedding. On Sunday we attended Praise and Glory Baptist Church (Pastor Moses Nyiku) to teach and preach there. We had the opportunity to speak with the manager of Benue Television regarding a series of TV episodes in TIV language sharing the Gospel. Our Pastor Hange, RockWay Baptist Church, is interested to working this ministry.

• The week before Christmas was a busy one to share and celebrate with the new missionary families here in Nigeria (Patricks, Youngs, Langs and Christiansens) at three gatherings with the Holmes Family.

Missionary Evangelist Curtis Hall describes his visit: 

I arrived the evening of the 11th of November, and Missionary Daniel Lang was there to pick me up and host me on this trip. He and his wife, Erin, and two children have already been there over a year now assisting Bro. Holmes. They are doing a great job! Saturday morning, I preached the soul winning challenge to the folks of Truth Baptist then headed out to go soul winning with Bro. Lang. We were blessed to see a young couple in their 20’s trust Christ as Saviour. Bro. Lang told me they were at Truth Baptist the next morning. He is going to be following up with them about baptism and discipleship. On Sunday morning and evening Pastor Jay Reed from Georgia and I did a round robin for both church plants in Abuja. On Monday and Tuesday, we preached a revival meeting for Bro. Holmes at both the churches. On Monday morning, Bro. Holmes held an open house meeting for area Pastors for his Bible college. There were 25 different pastors in attendance as well as the 28 college students plus missionaries. I was honored to be asked to preach the closing message for the open house. Later that week we traveled four hours away to conduct a Soul Winning and Leadership Conference at Zion Baptist Church in Jos, Nigeria. There were 20 different pastors in attendance. On Friday evening I preached the closing message and 25 people walked the aisle to commit to being soul winners.