The History:

In Mims, Florida, July 15, 1978, with much prayer and consultation, the C. E. Graham Baptist Bible Institute and Family and Pastoral Counseling Center was founded by Reverend Dr. Charles E. Graham. Pastor of the Greater St. James Baptist Church, Mims, Florida.  It was operated for six years as an extended of Faith, Evangelist, Christian Bible College in Morgantown, Kentucky and The National Christian Counselor Association (NCCA) in Sarasota, Florida.

The compelling need for such opportunity became a challenge for Dr. Graham, when he-a young pastor at the age of 37 years- discovered that his congregation was in need of deacons.  Upon asking a bright young man who appeared to possess a hunger for spiritual knowledge to consider training to become a deacon, Dr. Graham was confronted with the weakness that most Black people in that area silently and secretly carried.  This young man could not read or write.  He desired to study and to train; therefore, he asked Dr. Graham to teach him to read and write.

In concern for the dignity of the young man and at the admonition of the Holy Spirit, Dr. Graham consented to teach the arising deacon if he would carry Dr. Graham to lunch.  The deal was sealed with a handshake.

As Dr. Graham began the work that had been preconditioned, other preaches and lay workers in other churches who had been recycling sermons from others and themselves because they also could not read and write, began to seek out this young "teacher-preacher" to teach them.  These spiritual soldiers no longer wanted to preach "Hear Say Sermons."  They desperately wanted to read the Word and have the Word to speak to them so that God's wisdom would abound.  They wanted to be independent biblical scholars who created their sermons as the Holy Spirit prompted them,  They became a cohesive interdependent, yet individual group of learners.  The fire had been ignited that could only be quenched by Knowledge, Wisdom, and Application. 

After six years of operating as a Bible Institute and Family and Pastoral Counseling Center, a need became obvious for the addition of a Bible College and Theological Seminary.  On May 1, 1986, an amendment was made changing the scope of the Bible Institute and Counseling Center to the C. E. Graham Baptist Bible College, still operated as an extension of Faith Evangelist Schools.  In August, 1988, Faith Evangelist Schools were transferred to the leadership of Dr. Michael A. Smith because of the illness and death of Dr. James Bishop, the Founder of Faith Evangelist Schools.  After much prayer, another amendment was made to the Constitution to become an independent school and to be chartered in the State of South Carolina.  In May 1993, the C.E. Graham Baptist Bible College was chartered by the State of South Carolina as a non-profit corporation, operating at 4916 Fairfield Road, Columbia, SC.  It became an independent school affiliated with Faith Baptist College and Seminary, Church Point, Louisiana, as a Satellite School with full accreditation from American Federation of Christian Colleges and Schools and became a full member of the National Christian Counselors Association (NCCA), on of the largest association of Christian counselors in the world, headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. 

The School also made request to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education to be exempt from the State Licensure requirements, offering studies leading to degrees in the areas of Bible Study, Theology, Counseling, Church Leadership and Christian Education.  On October 11, 1994, exempt status was granted using degree titles such as Associate of..., Bachelor of..., Master..., and Doctor of Theology, etc., which clearly label such as degrees as professional.

On June 10, 2001, the school made another amendment to its bylaws to change its operational name to C.E. Graham Bible Schools, Inc., because of the attraction of a wide variety of denominational backgrounds.  On January 3, 2007, the School was chartered as Central Christian University of South Carolina, Inc.

To this date, Central Christian University of SC, Inc.  is an independent, liberal and local church oriented institution, meeting a neglected need in the field of Christian Education, Counseling, and Ministry.  The University is missionary, both in belief and practice.  Both undergraduate and graduate programs, certificates and diplomas are offered.  Central Christian University of South Carolina, Inc. was accredited with Transworld Accreditation until 2013.  As the University has continued to prosper, Dr. Graham and the Board of Directors decided to increase the prestige and appeal of the University by applying for accreditation with The Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE).  In February 2018, the ABHE Commission on Accreditation  awarded Central Christian University of South Carolina, Inc. "Applicant Status," and in February 2023 was granted "Candidate Status."  The University endeavors to complete this journey towards full accreditation with the Association for Biblical Higher Education with committed diligence.