The General Board of Education established the Ministerial Enrichment Institutes in North Carolina in 1472. There were five institutes in various parts of the state. There was still a definite need for deeper educational programs for Bible students in North Carolina.
In 1974, C. Raymond Spain, State Overseer, along with the planning committee, George D. Voorhis, Walter Barwick, S. A. Lankford, James Griffin, Earl F. Sibbett, W. C. Loftis, and Joseph Chambers, presented plans for a Bible College to be instituted on the Charlotte Campground to the ministers of the state. At the Mid-Winter Camp Meeting, a proposal was brought to the ministers, and a program was launched.
The building would consist of 88,000 square feet over its three stories. The ground floor would house the State Offices, lobby, and the college library. The second floor would contain the administrative offices of the College, classrooms, tabernacle, and gym, which would be used as an overflow room during State meetings. The third floor would house classrooms, a banquet hall-chapel, and temporary girls' dormitory rooms.
The formation of these plans led to the birth of East Coast Bible College. George D. Voorhis, Doctor of Ministers, was selected President of the College. Dr. Voorhis initiated a fundraising program to support the new college's expenses and also collected volumes for the library.
On September 12, 1976, the first college students entered the doors of East Coast Bible College. The first year's enrollment was 137 from thirteen states.
