Rev. Stanleym. Holman

Rev. Stanley Meredith Holman, age 85 went to join his Heavenly Father and his late wife, Martha "Jean" Holman at Providence Nursing Home in Zeeland, Michigan on Sunday, October 24th, 2010. He was born November 4th, 1924 to Newton A. and Sarah L. (Shockley) Holman in Belle, Missouri. Stan was the youngest and the only survivor of thirteen children that were raised on a farm during the Great Depression. Stan considered Independence, Missouri to be his home town, though he never returned to live there. Following high school, World War II had begun and Stan enlisted in the United States Navy. He served in the Pacific and was part of the Leyte Landing, as well as being based in Hollandia, New Guinea for a year. Stan's final deployment was in Toledo, Ohio, where he was discharged in 1946. Here he met the love of his life, Martha "Jean" Holman at Emmanuel Baptist Church. The two of them spent 54 wonderful years together and were devoted life members of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Together Stan and Jean enrolled and graduated from Shelton Bible College in New York City. In 1950 they were appointed as missionaries to the Philippines with the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE). In May, 1952 they sailed from New York to Manila, where they lived for nearly 40 years as missionaries, helping others and raising a family of their own. While in the Philippines Stan took charge of the construction of the campus of the Baptist Bible Seminary and Institute, where he served on the Board of Directors for a number of years. He was the business manager for a team of as many as 75 ABWE missionaries, carrying out a number of tasks and representing ABWE to at least 35 different government agencies.

One of the greatest honors that Stan and wife Jean received was The Edward and Marian Bomm Award for recognition of Exceptional Servanthood. "Whose Ministry consistently exemplified Servanthood. Theirs was the spirit of the Apostle Paul by giving not only the Gospel of God but their own souls as they manifested genuine love for people and met their needs." - I Thessalonians 2:8

In 1991 Stan and Jean retired from ABWE, but they continued to serve the Lord as long as they had strength. They opened their home to countless international students from the University of Toledo. They helped Emmanuel Baptist Church start a new Hispanic work downtown. And they tutored a number of Asians in English as a second language.

Rev. Stanley Holman is survived by his three sons, Timothy (Carol) Holman, Stephen (Kristine) Holman and Mark Holman; grandchildren, Anne, Elisabeth, Meredith, Sarah, Julie, Karen, and the twins Saskia and Clio and Viveca; many nieces, nephews and dear cousins, as well as countless friend in the Emmanuel Baptist and ABWE families.

The family will receive guests Saturday from 10-11:00 a.m. at Newcomer Funeral Home, 4150 W. Laskey Rd. (419-473-0300). Funeral Services will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home with Pastor Bruce Snyder officiating. Entombment will follow in Toledo Memorial Park where the Lucas County Veterans Burial Corp will render full Military Honors.

For those wishing a kind expression of sympathy please consider an organization that Stan and Jean were very passionate about, the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism P.O. Box 8585 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105. Gifts should be designated to the Stan and Jean Holman Scholarship Fund for Baptist Bible Seminary and Institute in Manila, Philippines.