Movieguide, the flagship program of the Christian Film and Television Commission founded by Ted Baehr, has established an internship named after Stephen Ally.
The late Mr. Ally had worked alongside his father, Art Ally, founder and CEO of Timothy Plan, and other family members and dedicated staff for 25 years before passing away in September 2019 from cancer. As COO and Vice President of Timothy Plan, Stephen helped turn it into a $1 billion firm.
Stephen was a husband, son, father, brother, grandfather, professional colleague, and friend to many.
Throughout his trial of battling cancer, Stephen never faltered in his faith. His strong witness was evident and encouraging to his family, co-workers, friends and even strangers. Stephen communicated to all that “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).
His strength and courage inspired all who knew him. His father and mother, Art and Bonnie Ally, were delighted when the scholarship was established in Stephen’s name.
“Ted came to us and offered to do this,” Art said. “We’ve been longtime supporters of Movieguide® so we were very happy that he chose to honor Stephen this way.”
Stephen Ally Fellowship provides a scholarship for one impressive student to participate in an eight-to-twelve-week entertainment internship, mentored by Dr. Baehr and other staff.
Applicants come from all over the country.
“This internship opportunity paves the way for participants to break into the entertainment industry and create lasting relationships,” said Dr. Baehr. “The goal of the program is to cultivate an experience of deep learning, as well as spiritual development, as we help to prepare these young people to change the culture for Christ.”
Movieguide® currently offers specialized internships in the fields of journalism, film review, video editing, radio production, and legal internships for aspiring entertainment or nonprofit attorneys.
Based in Camarillo, California, Movieguide® has the advantage of being close to Hollywood, but is also subject to Southern California’s high cost of living.
“This has significantly limited potential interns to those of significant means,” said co-CEO Robert Baehr. “Because of California employment laws, as well as educational limitations on compensation, we as an organization cannot directly pay our interns. If we did, not only would they be ineligible for academic credit, but we would incur payroll tax, unemployment insurance, and benefits. Because of this limitation, many potential interns cannot afford to participate.
“In order to offer more students this amazing opportunity, we reached out to some of our supporters asking for help to provide directly for our interns’ cost of living. Art Ally, president and CEO of the Timothy Plan, asked how he could help. His son Stephen had recently lost his battle with cancer and Art wanted an opportunity to carry on his legacy.
“Stephen had been profoundly impacted by media during his life and because of the Allys’ generosity, we have been able to establish a fund to help one deserving intern each year.”
This year, the Stephen Ally Fellowship went to Vincent Douglas, who majored in filmmaking and who left his Fort Wayne, Indiana town and drove 2,000 miles to Hollywood with nothing but a few hundred dollars in his pocket.
Vincent was able to sharpen his skills in filmmaking, especially scriptwriting, and to learn directly from major Christian filmmakers about what executives look for in scripts.
“The Movieguide® internship has been a truly incredible experience because it not only challenged me intellectually, but also spiritually,” he wrote. “It was such a privilege to be part of the Movieguide® family and work alongside them, even for a little while, as they’re growing God’s kingdom and being a light in the dark. I came out more confident in my skills and in the God I serve. I came out with a new family and a renewed excitement to serve God in this industry.”
To read more, please visit movieguide.org/internship and watch a video of Movieguide® interns in action at https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/e275da84-8c1f-42fc-9cb8-8896bbaa24e8.
A writer for Timothy Partners, Ltd. He is a regular weekly columnist for The Washington Times and Townhall.com and is frequently published by AmericanThinker.com, DailyCaller.com, OneNewsNow.com, and others. He has authored the following books: “A Strong Constitution: What Would America Look Like If We Followed the Law” (D. James Kennedy Ministries, 2018), Invested with Purpose: The Birth of the Biblically-Responsible Investment Movement, and A Nation Worth Fighting For: 10 Steps to Restore Freedom.
