Mark Ruble grew up on the Monterey Peninsula in California and attended Sunday School at First Church of Christ, Scientist, Monterey. (One of his Sunday School teachers was author Stephen Gottschalk.) His grandparents were E. LeVerne Ruble, C.S. and Edna Ruble, C.S., founding members of the Monterey Church, were Journal-listed practitioners (taught by George Channing, C.S.B. – a pupil of Dr. John M. Tutt, C.S.B.)
1969
As a teenager joined The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts.
1971
Joined First Church of Christ, Scientist, Claremont, California. Served many times as First Reader, Executive Board member and Chair, Chair of Business Meetings, Sunday School Superintendent and teacher, Reading Room Librarian, Parliamentarian, Chair of most committees, etc.
1972
At age 18, took primary class instruction with David W. Rennie, C.S.B. of Denver, Colorado - a pupil of
Dr. Tutt, C.S.B..
1972-85
Christian Science Volunteer Worker and Chaplain in Los Angeles County youth camps and jails and California State prisons.
1973
Year abroad in Denmark and Spain, conducting political research for college. Active with First Church of Christ, Scientist, Copenhagen and First Church of Christ, Scientist, Madrid. Traveled extensively in Europe.
1975
B.A., Political Science - International Relations, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California.
1976+
Frequent contributor to Christian Science periodicals, and very active as a Christian Science Committee on Publication public speaker, giving hundreds of talks about Christian Science to churches, schools, youth groups, hospital staffs, medical schools, service organizations, etc. Also had some of my articles about Christian Science printed in public periodicals.
1981
Listed in Christian Science Journal as authorized Christian Science practitioner. Also in the Spanish Herald of Christian Science. Later also approved to be listed in Lusaka, Zambia, and Harare, Zimbabwe.
1981-91
Served as The Mother Church’s Regional Assistant to Christian Science College Organizations (CSOs) in Southern California and as a speaker at numerous CSO and Christian Science Youth meetings.
1991
Became an authorized Christian Science teacher. Taught in the Normal Class of the Board of Education of The Mother Church by Jean Hebenstreit, C.S.B. – a pupil of Dr. Tutt, C.S.B. (I was one of the youngest practitioners ever to become a teacher, since Mrs. Eddy's days.)
1998-2009
Volunteer parent on weekly, sometimes daily, basis in California and Colorado schools attended by my two sons.
1999
Voluntarily withdrew from Christian Science Journal and stopped teaching class instruction, at the beginning of a protracted divorce that lasted over a decade, with me ultimately winning custody of my two sons. However, I always continued working exclusively as a Christian Science practitioner (my only form of income for my entire adult life).
1999+
Regular yearly trips (1-3 times per year) to Africa, as a Christian Science practitioner. My visits began at the request of individuals in the government of Zambia for me to pray for the country in a national political crisis. Then, for over a decade, until the then government ruling party was voted out of office, I was an official guest of the Speaker of the Zambian National Assembly, interacting with many people in and outside of the government as a Christian Science practitioner. Soon, I began to visit Zimbabwe each year as a practitioner as well. Over the years, I’ve given numerous workshops, to Christian Scientists and the public both in Zambia and Zimbabwe, on subjects such as how to heal through prayer in Christian Science, Bible subjects, branch church activities, reading lessons for Christian Science church Readers, metaphysical insights on current events, etc. Also assisted in the establishment of new Christian Science churches and informal church groups in Zimbabwe. I have never received any income for this volunteer work, but have spent over US$150,000 of my own funds to support Christian Science in Africa.
2005-2013
Host parent in the U.S. to 11 foreign exchange students from 9 countries. Nine of these students lived with me and my family for an entire year, the other two students for only 6 months. I healed many of them through prayer of physical and other problems (such as broken bones) and taught a few of them how to heal as well - including a student from China who was a communist atheist. To be eligible to host these students, the exchange programs required me to pass FBI background checks each year.
2007-2008
Relisted in the Christian Science Journal for a year. After a year, the Christian Science Board of Directors removed me without any complaint, due process, or even opportunity to discuss the issue. Later the Board of Education told me that this took place because I had signed various public letters respectfully asking the Board of Directors to obey the Manual of The Mother Church (one example: I was asked by Allison Phinney, C.S.B. and the other Journal, Sentinel, Herald Associate Editors when they resigned in 1992 to add my signature to their public letter concerning their resignation and objections to on-going Manual violations at The Mother Church). Another reason I was removed from the Journal was my support of the Manual of The Mother Church, Article I, Section 9 official complaint by three prominent authorized teachers in 1991, “Speaking the truth in love,” concerning extensive Manual violations at The Mother Church. The Board of Education later told me I could relist if I repudiated my previous position about Manual violations at The Mother Church, closed down my nonprofit activities that support Christian Science in Africa, stopped visiting Africa or taking patients from Africa, stopped giving any talks or workshops anywhere in the world, stopped writing articles, and stopped serving Church in any capacity. I declined the offer.
2008-2011
Guest First Reader at a branch church in Southern California. Its membership had dwindled down to almost no members and it had withdrawn from listing in the Christian Science Journal. It soon was reinstated in the Journal and has been successfully growing its attendance and membership ever since.
2008+
Give church revitalization workshops (by invitation) to Christian Science branch churches in the U.S. and other countries that are struggling or in danger of closing.
2008+
Founded the incorporated nonprofits, “I Want To Help Africa” and “Christian Scientists Healing in Africa”, (in U.S. and Canada) to support Christian Science churches, Reading Rooms, Sunday Schools, informal groups, dissemination of Christian Science literature, and individual Christian Scientists in Africa, as well as to meet humanitarian needs (primarily among Christian Scientists there). Some years these nonprofits have sent more Christian Science literature to parts of Africa than The Christian Science Publishing Society.
2009+
Author of numerous books on Christian Science, including “The Mounting Footsteps of the Upward Way: A New Perspective on Christ’s Beatitudes and Their Correspondence with Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy”.
Began to offer workshops throughout the world on how to heal in Christian Science (but never claiming that I was offering class instruction). Hundreds of people, after attending these workshops, have begun to successfully heal both themselves and other people. Due to this activity, The Christian Science Board of Directors decided to excommunicate me from The Mother Church in 2012, although I always continued as an active member of my branch church and as a very busy practitioner and unauthorized teacher of healing.