Courts Redford was the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Home Mission Board (now North American Mission Board) from 1954-1964. Redford used the monthly magazine “Home Missions” to connect with Southern Baptists across the country.
In March 1960 Redford said that “For $7.99 you can operate the entire program of the Home Mission Board for one minute.” For just 799 pennies, he explained, you can support 1800 workers and 55 ministries, like VBS, starting new churches, and supporting missions pastors. This unique way of framing the cost of the HMB helped readers understand all the work they did and how they could be a part of it through the Cooperative Program.
When Redford came to the HMB in 1954 there 489 missionaries, and when he retired ten years later there were over 2,200, not including summer missionary students. In that same time the budget increased from $593,000 to $5,445.00.
Read more about Courts Redford and his work in “Courts Redford: His Life and Labors.”