September began with some unwanted excitement here at Chalcedon. The day after Labor Day, Darlene and I went to the neighboring country where I had a routine blood draw at the hospital. I received a frantic all from my 17-year old granddaughter who was home alone and said a lightening fire was approaching fast. That morning there had been numerous strikes in the area and fire resource were heavily committe4d.
It took Darlene and me almost 40 minutes to arrive back in Vallecito. When we arrived, there was a wall of flames behind the Chalcedon offices. Rebecca, Jill, and Emily had already been warned to get out by a California Highway Patrol officer, which they did. Darlene and I drove up the hill where our house and my son’s house (formerly my father’s) were in a cloud of smoke.
My two sons (Isaac and Ross) are both firefighters and both arrived in time to fight the fire before any fire engines arrived. Miraculously, both home was destroyed, and the fire at the Chalcedon office was stopped. Much of the suppression came from fire retardant by aircraft diverted from other fires. A firebreak along my home held, but flames came without twenty feed of my dad’s old house and his library building. My youngest son, Ross, had been off-duty and had no safety clothing on but went all over both properties for several houses with a back-pump putting out fire on the perimeter of the burn.
Two days later, the Chalcedon Office was used as a staging area and supply drop-off for fire crews who were doing mop-up.
God is good, and we escaped the exact scenario I have feared for over 40 years with very little damage.
We appreciate all who prayed. We know God spared us for a purpose, and we will continue in that work as our supporters enable.
- Mark R. Rushdoony
Mark R. Rushdoony graduated from Los Angeles Baptist College (now The Master’s College) with a B.A. in history in 1975 and was ordained to the ministry in 1995.
He taught junior and senior high classes in history, Bible, civics and economics at a Christian school in Virginia for three years before joining the staff of Chalcedon in 1978. He was the Director of Chalcedon Christian School for 14 years while teaching full time. He also helped tutor all of his children through high school.
In 1998, he became the President of Chalcedon and Ross House Books, and, more recently another publishing arm, Storehouse Press. Chalcedon and its subsidiaries publish many titles plus CDs, mp3s, and an extensive online archive at www.chalcedon.edu. His biography of his father will be published later this year (2024).
He has written scores of articles for Chalcedon’s publications, both the Chalcedon Report and Faith for all of Life. He was a contributing author to The Great Christian Revolution (1991). He has spoken at numerous conferences and churches in the U.S. and abroad.
Mark Rushdoony has lived in Vallecito, California, since 1978. His wife, Darlene, and he have been married since 1976. His youngest son still resides with him. He has three married children and nine grandchildren.