For the first 35 years of his life, Pastor Ed Grifenhagen never imagined he would one day become a Christian pastor. Raised in a deeply devout Jewish home, he was immersed in the traditions, customs, and heritage of Judaism from childhood. Although he respected the Bible as a source of moral teaching, he dismissed its supernatural claims as little more than fairy tales. Yet an honest search for truth would ultimately lead him down a path he never expected.
That journey came at a cost. Embracing Jesus as the promised Messiah meant reexamining everything he had believed and risking rejection from those closest to him. It required courage, humility, and a willingness to follow the evidence wherever it led. What began as a spiritual search became a life-changing encounter with Christ that forever altered his future. Today, his story stands as a powerful testimony that no one is beyond God's reach.
Today, Pastor Ed serves as the lead pastor of a thriving church-- Church on the Trail in Georgia-- has faithfully shared the Gospel with his own family despite the challenges that journey sometimes brought, and continues to impact lives through a variety of ministries. He is also the author of 365 Hebrew Words Every ChristianShould Know, a year-long devotional that helps readers discover how understanding the Hebrew language and Jewish culture brings fresh meaning and depth to the Scriptures and to the life of Jesus.
In this inspiring first conversation on The UPside Conversations,Pastor Ed shares his remarkable story of faith, identity, and transformation.In the UPside Special Features, he recounts the extraordinary last-minute conversion of his tough military father, discusses his outreach to the homeless, his passion for mentoring the next generation of Christian filmmakers, and reflects on the many ways God has redirected his life for a greater purpose. It's a conversation that reminds us all that when we sincerely seek the truth, God has a way of revealing Himself.
