BOLIVAR, MO – Southwest Baptist University announced it will dedicate the renovation of The Jim Mellers Center on Monday, September 24, immediately following a special chapel service at 10 a.m. in the Pike Auditorium on the Bolivar campus. The time for the dedication is 11:00 a.m. SBU’s renovation of the 22,000-square foot Jim Mellers Center was completed this summer. The center houses the Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry as well as SBU’s Intercultural Studies program and the in-service guidance office, which directs students into internship opportunities. The $1.5 million renovation is being funded entirely by private donations.

Special guests on the chapel program include Gilbert Adkins, president of Mid-Missouri Insurance Agency, Inc., Lebanon; Rosemary McCord ’46, daughter of Dr. Courts Redford; Granville Watson, consultant & director of special projects at SBU; John Woods ’79, a businessman, Horn Lake, Mississippi; Nolan Carrier ’72, pastor of South Gate Baptist Church, Springfield; and Rick Durham ’92, pastor of First Southern Baptist Church, Garden City, Kansas.

 “The Jim Mellers Center was originally built in 1984 as a conference center, said SBU President C. Pat Taylor. “It was a very good building, but it was not configured as an academic building. The interior was completely gutted and construction started from scratch. The center now features eight state-of-the-art classrooms with the largest two having Smart Board technology and all of the classrooms are PowerPoint-ready. The new student lounge has wireless technology.”

According to Dr. Taylor, the renovation was designed by faculty working directly with the architect, Joe Vejraska, from Gaskin, Hill, and Norcross of Springfield. “Among the most innovative features are the faculty offices, which are all on the main (second) floor providing ease of access for students and creating a scholarly community for the faculty and students,” Dr. Taylor said.

The center also features a preaching room enabling the students with a more adequate space for practicing sermons.

Mission Statement

“The Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry endeavors from a Christian perspective to teach students the Bible, our Christian heritage, and spiritual formation, and to prepare students for ministry and cross-cultural service.”

Biography of Dr. Courts Redford

15th President of Southwest Baptist University

Dr. Courts Redford was born September 4, 1898, on a farm in Henry County, Missouri.    A few years later, his family relocated to a farm near Granite, Oklahoma.   Dr. Redford gave his life to the Lord at age 12 and felt called to preach the Gospel while a student in high school.

Dr. Redford attended Oklahoma Baptist University graduating in 1920.  The following year he married Helen Ruth Ford.  After his marriage, he earned a master’s degree at the University of Missouri.  Following that, he attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, earning a master’s degree in theology in 1927.  Two honorary doctorate degrees were conferred upon him from OBU and William Carey College.

In 1930 the trustees at Southwest Baptist College in Bolivar, Missouri, extended an invitation to Dr. Redford to become its fifteenth president.   It was during the depression that Dr. Redford accepted the presidency of SWBC, a time when the college was not financially solvent.   As Mayme Hamlett stated in her book, To Noonday Bright, “Dr. Redford set forth to plan financial strategy, to advance the institution educationally, to build the morale of the trustees, faculty and students, and to cooperate in denominational endeavors.”    The new president rose to the challenges of those difficult years and immediately launched a fund raising campaign which culminated in a “note-burning” ceremony on June 6, 1941.  Dr. Redford served SWBC as president for thirteen years.  In 1943 he began working for the Home Mission Board (HMB) as assistant to the executive secretary-treasurer, J. B. Lawrence.  After Dr. Lawrence retired in 1954, Dr. Redford was promoted to executive secretary-treasurer serving the HMB for 22 years.  

Following, Dr. Redford’s retirement in 1965, he and his family relocated to Bolivar. During this period, Dr. Redford began preaching in area churches.  Once again, he would be aligned with SWBC in 1967 when he accepted the position of interim president, which lasted nine months. When a new president was named the following year, Dr. James Sells, Dr. Redford was named “President Emeritus” at SWBC.  In 1970 Dr. Redford was named as the first archivist at the college.   He and his wife, Helen, shared an interest in SWBC’s history and worked together on this project. 

The Redfords raised nine children:  Virginia, Elizabeth, John, Rosemary, David, Sylvia, Bill, Courts Jr., Jeanette and Caroline.  Dr. Redford passed away in April 1977 leaving his wife, nine children, 18 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. 

We are pleased today to honor his memory with this lasting memorial and dedicate The Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry to Dr. Courts Redford, Southwest Baptist College’s 15th president, in recognition of his dedication and commitment to advancing God’s kingdom through his work at SWBC.  The Courts Redford College of Theology and ministry is a fitting and lasting tribute to his legacy. 

Biography of  Dr. Jack Stanton

A native of East St. Louis, Illinois, Jack Stanton served in the ministry for more than 60 years.  He earned a Doctor of Theology degree at Luther Rice Seminary in 1974.  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shurtleff Baptist College in Alton, Illinois, and a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1955 from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City.

During his ministry, Dr. Stanton held memberships in the Academy for Evangelism in Theological Education, Baptist Teachers of Religion, Southern Baptist Vocational Evangelists, Missouri Baptist Evangelists and the Washington Roundtable on Evangelism.  He served two terms as first vice president for the Southern Baptist Convention in 1986 and 1987.    He was the author of The Christian Witness and How to Have a Full and Meaningful Life, in addition to writing numerous articles for Southern Baptist papers, magazines and curriculum materials and sermons that were published in various books.

Some of Dr. Stanton’s special honors include being listed in Who’s Who in Religion, being named the alumni of the year in 1995 at Luther Rice Seminary and honored for his Outstanding Achievement in Evangelism by the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists at the Southern Baptist Convention in 1996.

Dr. Stanton began his association with SBU in 1975.   He served the University for 22 years prior to his retirement in 1997 as the director of evangelism.   In 1997 The Jack Stanton Chair of Evangelism was established in his honor for his commitment to evangelism and his years of faithful and dedicated service to the University.

 Dr. Stanton and his wife, Mary, who passed away in 1999, were married for 58 years.  Dr. Stanton passed away in July 2002 leaving two daughters, Mary Lee and Melody Ann, who reside in Texas. 

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