Wichita, Kansas is the place that many anti-choice terrorists call home. The location has spawned several far-right fringe terrorist leaders. Randall Terry and Troy Newman both have roots in Wichita and both men are well-known for their radical exploits. Anti-choice terrorists seem to be drawn to the city like moths to a flame. Cheryl Sullenger transplanted herself here after finding the state of California unwelcoming and Jennifer McCoy, convicted of committing arson upon two Virginia abortion clinics, both now make Wichita their home. Many of these local terrorists had ties to Scott Roeder, who assassinated Dr. George Tiller. 

The men behind the “pro-life memorial” and “wailing wall” planned for Wichita also have a history and hand in the anti-choice terrorism that has plagued this community. According to one organizer, Mark Holick, the plans for this “memorial” have supposedly been in the works since the Summer of Mercy, which stands as a turning point for abortion politics and abortion terrorism in Kansas. 

Mark Holick may not be a well-known name nationally, but Wichita is very familiar with his anti-choice fanaticism, harassment of gays and the Islamic community. Holick’s hatred has even extended outside of the boundaries of Kansas. He was arrested in Wyoming for the distribution of graphic anti-choice materials at a Boy Scout fundraiser. Holick was so angered at the Jackson Hole community for their rejection of him and his fellow fanatics that he penned a lengthy diatribe to the local newspaper that included the defamation of several local churches, law enforcement, and other city officials.  The following quote is derived from that letter…

“To the Presbyterian Church and Paul Hayden:  you said you have “adamantly pro-life and “adamantly pro-choice” people in your church, this is an abomination. What Bible are you preaching from? Does the sixth Commandment mean anything to you? The “diversity” you spoke of is a euphemism for; we accept sin, even those who support the shedding of innocent blood. I urge you to repent. Woe to them who call evil good and good evil (Is. 5:12). You and your church are not pro-life in any sense. Stop the hypocrisy. Be honest and tell everyone that you are a pro-abortion/murder church.”

Holick has a penchant for speaking out publicly against the beliefs of other churches with views that conflict with his own hateful gospel. Holick made the following statement after the murder of Dr. George Tiller, which took place on a Sunday morning inside the Doctor’s church…

“What was an abortionist doing ‘in’ church, any church…being allowed, welcomed, even venerated? This man killed babies for a living. He charged large sums of money to do it. Then he went to ‘church,’ made large contributions, and the ‘church’ (Reformation Lutheran Church) accepted it??” Pastor Mark Holick, Spirit One Christian Center, & OSA.

This is an apostate church, fully complicit in Mr. Tiller’s murderous rampage against preborn children. It has provided cover and respectability for him. We have confronted both pastor and church with this trashing of the Gospel of Christ. I can still recall one board member saying, “We have members who believe both ways (pro-life or pro-choice).” Please!

Holick not only freely condemns other faiths that have proper respect for viewpoints that run counter to his dangerous worldview, but he also has no qualms about protesting in front of a church. He was protesting this particular church, because it was the site of a public forum that included Dr. Mila Means. In fact, Holick was the core organizer of protests that were launched against the physician at her home and at her office when it was discovered that she had bought some of Dr. Tiller’s equipment and was training to provide abortions in Wichita.  The following quote is from a news story about the terrorism…

Mark Holick, the pastor of Wichita’s Spirit One Christian Center, has shown up at Means’ farm outside Wichita, as well as her office. “It’s not protests,” says Holick. “We just call it ministering the gospel.”

During Dr. Means’ search for an alternate location for her practice, Holick went so far as to hold protests in front of the prospective locations and call the prospective landlords with whom Dr. Means had merely inquired.

Dr. Means shared with Rewire what it felt like to be harassed at her home by Mark Holick…

“I felt trapped in my own home, my own environment, where I should feel safe and secure.  It altered my decisions of whether I would go outside of my home at any given time.  I never knew what he was capable of.”

Holick’s partner in the “pro-life memorial” effort is Rob Rotola.  When he was asked about the terrorism of Dr. Means he gave the following statement to the Rachel Maddow Show: 

“he is killing babies right now in Ks. City, and plans to kill in Wichita,” protest leader Rob Rotola e-mailed us later. “We will notify her neighbors and all who do business with her.”

Holick under the banner of his now defunct Spirit One Church, put out fliers with Dr. Means’ photograph, address and phone number.  The fliers stated…

“Visit her at her home and office and try to speak to her about Jesus.  Plead with Mila to stop shedding innocent blood so to avoid being condemned to hell for these unspeakable horrific murders!  Do a public outreach at her killing center.  She will be earning blood money for violently slaying the innocent.  Ask her to stop murdering innocent babies.” 

Holick and Rotola have worked together on several previous endeavors. They joined forces with Phil Kline in 2007 in the continued witch-hunt against Dr. Tiller. They have both been the forces behind Personhood in Kansas and now, they join forces to bring a “pro-life memorial” to our city. Only “pro-life” is a misnomer. 

This planned memorial is not a tribute to life at all. It is the latest fleeting desperate attempt at notoriety for a couple of washed up anti-choice terrorists in a town with no one left to terrorize. Holick and Rotola may not have the anti-choice name recognition that some of their Wichita “pro-life compatriots” have, but they have proven tenacity in their extremism. This alone makes them dangerous. The planned “pro-life memorial” could best be envisioned as a terrorist training camp, where the tried and proven tactics of its founders would be passed along to those that have donated to their cause and come from afar. 

The text in the pamphlet states that the memorial will be “promoting, bring healing, and enhancing human life”. It also states, “The International Life Centre’ will be staffed by professionals, councilors and clergy.” This presents a peaceful vision that stands in stark contrast with the past violent language and actions that the memorial’s founders have participated in and promoted. These men have promulgated a war against women and waged assault upon their doctors, pure and simple. They promise “a place of repentance, mediation, and healing.” The reality is that the only way that Wichita can truly begin to heal, is if these aggressors, these intimidators, these haters of women… were to quietly “repent, meditate and heal” for their sins upon a community that has had enough of their hatred.