E. Ray Moore, Jr., has served for over forty-nine years in pastoral ministry. He served nineteen years as an Army Reserve Chaplain, retiring as Lt. Colonel in 1999. He and his wife, Gail, married 54 years, have four children and nine grandchildren. They’ve long been involved in private Christian education and homeschooling. Currently, Ray serves as President of Frontline Ministries, Inc., which focuses on prayer, revival, and Christian education and is celebrating 30 years of ministry this year. We spoke with Ray recently about homeschooling and its role in our God-fearing nation.
When did you start your mission to promote homeschooling?
My wife Gail and I started our homeschooling adventure in 1977 in West Lafayette, IN, when we started a new campus ministry at Purdue University. I was also finishing up my Th.M. degree at Grace Theological Seminary. We promoted homeschooling by word of mouth and, in 1997, launched the Exodus Mandate (exodusmandate.org), urging conservatives and Christians to leave the state-sponsored public school system for the promised land of K-12 Christian schools and homeschooling.
Can you describe some of the successes you’ve seen in homeschooling?
We have been among the first ministries in the U.S. to urge exiting the public school system rather than reforming it. Our message was not well received at first by many Christians and conservatives, but recently, the tide has turned in our favor, and millions are embracing our Exodus Mandate agenda now. Four years ago, we co-founded the Christian Education Initiative (Christedu.org), an alliance of 20 K-12 Christian education, homeschool, higher education, or worldview ministries. I was the first chairman and now serve as chairman emeritus. Also, I serve as Chairman of the Board for the San Diego-based Public School Exit (Publicschoolexit.com).
Is the U.S. public education system unfixable?
State-sponsored public education is not broken but is a highly successful socialistic experiment. We can't fix socialism but must abandon it for a free-market and Christian worldview model in K-12 education. The Scriptures teach that the education mandate belongs to the family with assistance from the church or private associations and not government. The government at federal and state levels has usurped the role of the family and church in the education of children.
What was your most memorable experience as an Army chaplain?
A highlight of my life was serving in Gulf War I as a group Chaplain for some 3,000 Army troops. I was later awarded a Bronze Star for my service.
What is your prayer for America?
I pray for revival in family life, sound marriages, and sound churches that will take up their God-ordained role in the education of their own children and additionally take up a mission to give Christian education to children of the entire nation. We call for a "fresh obedience" by Christian families and churches in the education of children. Then revival could come and we may see in our lifetime the replacement of K-12 state-sponsored public education with 10,000s of new K-12 Christian schools and homeschool co-ops.
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