By Movieguide Freelance
NEWS RELEASE: COLUMBIA, SC – On October 19, 2025, E. Ray Moore, president of Frontline Ministries, Inc., (FM) and director of Exodus Mandate, awarded Dr. Ted Baehr the 2025 Dr. Robert Dreyfus Courageous Christian Leadership Award. Moore presented the Award in Atlanta, GA, at the Movieguide® Gala banquet celebrating 40 years of ministry.
Frontline Ministries, Inc., established this award in 2007 and presents it yearly to recognize and honor Christian leaders who have exhibited moral courage through their unique contribution to the Church by advancing Christianity in the culture and life of the nation. This contribution may run counter to the prevailing culture of the Church and society.
At the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood, Ted Baehr was born in 1946 to successful stage, screen, and television actors. Growing up in New York, Ted followed in his parents’ footsteps, performing in commercials, movies, television, and stage.
He studied at the University of Munich in Germany; Cambridge University; University of Bordeaux and Toulouse in France; the Film Program at Columbia University School of the Arts; Northwestern University; Department of English: Graduate Program. He graduated with high distinction in comparative literature from Dartmouth College. Later, he received his Doctor of Humanities (HHD) from Belhaven College, and then a Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) from Primus University of Theology. He received his Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law.
In 1975, while Ted was financing independent movies for The Cannon Group, Inc., a friend suggested that he read the Bible, which changed his perspective both professionally and personally. Filled with the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ, he started the Good News Communications ministry in 1978. He began to realize that part of the reason for the breakdown of morality in movies and television today, and in the culture at large, was that people of faith retreated from being salt and light in the culture.
In 1985, Ted founded the Christian Film & Television Commission™ (CFTC) ministry and MOVIEGUIDE®: A family guide to movies and entertainment. The ministry uses the vision for positive change to redeem the values of the mass media of entertainment according to biblical principles by influencing key entertainment executives to adopt higher standards and by informing and equipping the public, especially parents with children and families.
The CFTC™ ministry initiated the Annual MOVIEGUIDE® Faith & Values Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry in 1992 in Los Angeles. During the elegant affair, Dr. Baehr presents MOVIEGUIDE®’s “Report to the Entertainment Industry” to encourage filmmakers to make movies with moral and spiritually uplifting values; to share the concerns of many Americans in regard to the negative influences of today’s movies; to present an in-depth study of the annual movie box office and not only dispel myths that extreme sex,violence and nudity sells, but also show that family movies and movies with morally uplifting, Christian values and content make more money by far.
Dr. Baehr seeks to recognize movies, TV programs, and actors truly deserving of praise, along with those people responsible for bringing them to the screen. To add glamour to the event, actors and actresses are invited to host and be presenters of the awards.
Since starting in 1985, only one or two movies were being made with strong, explicit Christian content or values, but today, there are 65 or more such movies each year, a marked increase!
Many major movie studios now have a Christian, faith-based film division, and several studios produce major movies with strong and overt Christian or biblical content for young children and families. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 1 in 3 parents use Movieguide® which reaches over 73 million people a month.
Chaplain E. Ray Moore, president of FM and director of Exodus Mandate, noted, “I am honored to present Dr. Ted Baehr with this award for his leadership, determination, and passion for guiding Christian parents to make positive movie choices for their children. A longtime friend, he is an advocate of Christian education and homeschooling. Ted was especially helpful and encouraging in the early years of Exodus Mandate.”
This award is named for Dr. Robert Dreyfus, a prominent Florida dentist and an inventor of a device to relieve neuromuscular pain in dental use. He served as president of Florida Dental Society of Anesthesiology. With more than 50 years of volunteer work on behalf of family values and K-12 Christian education, he served as the FL state coordinator for Exodus Mandate for 15 years. He entered the Lord’s presence in February 2025.
Chaplain Moore noted that the 2025 award is the twentieth to be awarded. Past recipients include: the late Thomas C. Pinckney, M.A., Brigadier General USAF Ret., and Bruce N. Shortt, J.D., Ph.D. (2007); Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., the National Home Education Research Institute (2008); Gena and Paul Suarez, The Old Schoolhouse magazine (2009); Geri and Bob Boyd, Issues in Education radio ministry (2010); the late Alice Moore, 1974 WV textbook protester (2011); Joyce and Eric Burges, National Black Home Educators (NBHE) (2012); Dan Smithwick, Nehemiah Institute (2013); Zan Tyler, Apologia Press; SCHAIS (2014); Edward Gamble, SBACS (2015); the late Mrs. Bobbie Ames, Emerald Mountain Christian School (2016); Karl Priest, Exodus Mandate WV Representative (2017); Israel Wayne, Family Renewal (2018); Dr. Carole Adams, Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE) (2019); Alex Newman, Public School Exit and Liberty Sentinel (2020); Leigh Bortins, Classical Conversations (2021); Dr. Henry Jordan, FM Board member (2022); Dran Reese, Salt & Light Council and Public School Exit (2023); Dr. Carl Broggi, Community BibleChurch (2024).
Contact Information: Dr. Ted Baehr: Dr. Ted Baehr, Founder, Chairman Movieguide®,
4073 Mission Oaks Blvd, Camarillo, CA 93012; www.movieguide.org; 805-383-2000
Contact information for Frontline Ministries, Inc.: Chap. E. Ray Moore (Lt. Col.), USAR
Ret. President of Frontline Ministries, Inc., Director of Exodus Mandate Project, www.exodusmandate.org PO Box 12072, Columbia, SC 29211; Email: exodusmandate@gmail.com (803) 714-1744
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