Dr. Mark & Sabrina Holmes2023-10-06T10:59:06-05:00

DR. MARK HOLMES FAMILY

SERVING IN NIGERIA SINCE 2005

ABOUT

Mark Birthday 08/02
Sabrina Birthday 02/23
Mark & Sabrina Wedding Anniversary 08/04
Mark Jr. Birthday 12/04
Victoria Birthday 12/14
Brian Birthday 08/20
Noah Birthday 02/03
LaDonna Birthday 07/03
Aaron Birthday 09/10

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. Over 30 churches have been started by those who have been trained or ordained by their ministry, including the most recent, Grace & Glory Baptist Church in Abuja. 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 and annual youth camp; a full curriculum DVD correspondence college 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.

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

Faith Baptist Church
8467 Canal Rd.
Gulfport, MS 39503
(228)863-6993
fbcgulfport.com

CONTACT

234-80-532-3148-7
225.910.6337
P.O. Box 11491
Garki-Abuja, FCT 900-001
Nigeria
P.O. Box 11491
Garki-Abuja, FCT 900-001
Nigeria
missionaryholmes.blogspot.com
Email Address
mark.holmes@fbmi.org

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You can financially support our family and ministry by giving here online, or you can mail checks to FBMI, 507 State Street, Hammond, IN 46320, and designate your giving to Missionary #90.
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LATEST

Mark and Sabrina Holmes Prayer Letter: Furlough and Return

Mark and Sabrina Holmes Prayer Letter: Furlough and ReturnOur furlough continued in July with a few Independence Day celebrations: fireworks at our sending church after the midweek 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., 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 the singing, 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 for 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 8, 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; Tuesday night was a high attendance of nearly 1,000! In Nigeria, 3 Student Missions Institutes for Training in Evangelism were conducted in 4 weeks. A grand total of 475 young people registered, and they had 4,726 children enrolled in 80 five-day clubs during the 3 weeks. On August 13, 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!

Believing God,

Mark Holmes, written 10 September 2024; WhatsApp +1.228.209.4625
vimeo.com/missionaryholmes has a brief video update based on this letter’s events

September 27th, 2024|

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