The Columbia Church of Christ is part of a fellowship of Christians known as the International Churches of Christ. Historically, the Columbia church began as a part of the restoration movement in the United States, which gave birth to several groups. Formerly known as the Shandon Church of Christ, up until 1977 we were most closely affiliated with mainline churches of Christ, known for their conservative view of the Bible and emphasis on following the pattern of the New Testament church. In 1977, Randy McKean came from the Crossroads Church of Christ to begin a highly successful campus ministry at the University of South Carolina. For the next decade, the church was a mixture of traditional church of Christ and campus ministry or discipling movement adherents. In 1988, the Columbia Church formally completed its alignment with what was then called the Boston movement, through association with the leadership of the New York City Church of Christ. In May of 1988 we completed a restructuring of the church and officially changed the name to the Columbia Church of Christ. In October of 1997, we took the even more formal step of affiliating with the ICOC family of churches by joining the ACES World Sector, a missionary association focused on planting churches in Africa and the Caribbean.

In early 2003, as waves of reform swept through our fellowship of churches, the ACES World Sector formally disbanded and the Columbia church, like the rest of our fellowship of churches, once again became an independent congregation and began to function as an autonomous church. Shortly afterwards,  Ernest Govan, Eric Grabski and Paul Leas answered the call to assume the task of shepherding the flock as the first elders appointed since the late 1980’s (when Calvin Conn passed away and Bill Hooper moved to Boston). The following year the Columbia church put out the call to hire a lead evangelist. JP and Pat Tynes were interviewed and hired in July 2004. In April of 2005 David and Lisa Laing, at that time leading the campus ministry at the University of Florida in Gainesville, were interviewed and hired to lead the campus ministry at USC. In December of 2005 Ronnie and Sharmarra Rose came to us from the Brooklyn region of the New York City Church of Christ to lead our Teen Ministry. Paul Ramsey was hired part time in July of 2006 and full time in February of 2007 as the church administrator. In April of 2007 Paul Ramsey and Jimmy Thomas were appointed as additional elders in the Columbia Church of Christ. Ernest Govan has since moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and Eric Grabski stepped down from serving as an elder. In 2008, Paul and Candy Ramsey began leading the Northwest Region and Ronnie and Sharmarra began leading the Northeast Region. Paul's role changed to full time ministry as an elder and Candy was formally hired as part time Woman's Ministry Leader in January of 2010. Mat Smith was appointed as an elder in May of 2010, bringing the eldership to four men. JP and Pat Tynes, after leading the Columbia church for six years accepted an offer to lead the Orlando Church of Christ and moved to Florida in August of 2010. The Columbia church is currently seeking a new lead evangelist and women's ministry leader.

In October of 2007, the Columbia church celebrated 30 years since an evangelistic campus ministry was established at the University of South Carolina. Since that time we know of well over 2,000 people who have been baptized into Christ through the efforts of this congregation, a great many of them as college students. In the last twenty years or so, this church has given over three million dollars in special contributions (above and beyond the regular weekly giving) over two million of which has gone to plant and support churches overseas, primarily in Africa and the Caribbean. In 1986 the Columbia church sent a team to St. Louis to plant the Gateway Church of Christ. In August of 1988, Paul and Candy Ramsey were sent to Philadelphia to help the New York City Church of Christ start the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ. Several members, including Cheryl  Deveaux, went to Africa in 1989 to assist in the planting of the church in Harare, Zimbabwe. In 1991 the Charleston Church of Christ was planted by a group from Columbia and the Greenville Church of Christ was sent out from here in 1996. In 2009 Columbia joined with the Athens church and the Charleston Church to help plant the new Clemson Foothills Church, which has grown to over 30 members in a short time.