It is in this context that SCC was created and continues to exist. Thus, the primary purpose of the College’s existence is to serve the rural community of Southern Philippines and to be of aid in its development by making education accessible to this part of the country and by using that education to serve and improve the community. It is for this reason that the College envisions itself to become a premier community-serving university and a catalyst for social transformation.

As an education institution, SCC is guided by its credo to seek a life of Christian faith, learning and action that will develop people into becoming intellectually competent and honest, morally and ethically sensitive, creatively aware and responsive to the needs, aspiration, and realization of a just, free and responsible social order. This statement of SCC’s commitment to the Christian faith and the community guides all the efforts in attaining its objectives. With this, the school at large has taken the slogan "Transforming Education, Transforming Communities" which was modified into "Transforming Education, Transforming Communities through Service-Learning" in 2002 when the College adopted the Service-Learning paradigm.

Service-Learning, a pedagogical model which integrates service to learning, allows participation of both students and staff in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and broadens the understanding of students regarding their respective courses. This paradigm, which targets the promotion, support, facilitation and recognition of community service as fundamental part of the teaching and learning experiences of faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Southern Christian College, became the general framework of the College’s undertakings as it puts flesh into its vision and mission. Hence, the performance of the task of each employee, the curricula, activities and programs of the College are geared towards learning and service.