A big, tattoo-covered, linebacker-built man is the new pastor in a small town. Michael Grigsby is the new pastor at Canton Christian Church. 

There are times in life when something calls people to try something new. It nudges them to do this new thing until they do it. That is exactly what happened to Grigsby, he was called to help people as best as he could. 

“I felt the call to ministry when I was in Joplin, MO, helping with disaster clean up after the 2011 F-5 tornado that destroyed a portion of the city. The time spent praying with people and serving the community alongside fellow church members really spoke to me on a spiritual level, and from that moment on I knew I was supposed to do ministry,” Grigsby said

Moving is hard no matter what, but for Grigsby, it was the best thing that could have happened to him and his career. 

Grigsby was born in Oklahoma City then moved to Grapevine, TX. He relocated to El Paso while in the military. He and his family moved back to Grapevine. He then became pastor at a church in Wyoming in 2015. 

Grigsby has been the pastor at Canton Christian Church since May of 2020. He never knew what was ahead of him but he knew no matter what, God was on his side.. 

“On one hand it is an amazing feeling to be the pastor of Canton Christian Church because of the church’s long-standing relationship with the community, and surrounding areas. The other hand is the great deal of stress that comes with trying to be the leader of this congregation and community,” Grigsby said. 

When a pastor comes to a new place, he comes across challenges he has to face, becoming a new pastor in a small town is one of the hardest things to do as a pastor. Sometimes coming to a new church, there can be bad experiences. 

“My worst experience in the church was being betrayed, spiritually and ethically, by someone that I considered to be a friend,” Grigsby said. 

Pastors all over the world have done different things prior to ministry and Grigsby is no different.

“I worked in the oil field and I worked for the government both in the military and the private sector,” Grigsby said.

For this pastor, everything has changed in the last few months. 

“My life has been radically changed due to ministry. My family life has become one of the most important aspects of my ministry, because when my home life is out of balance then my ministry will suffer. Being a pastor has required my life to transform from a me-focused life to everyone else-focused life,” Grigsby, pastor, said.  

College is a great place to start a new life, and for Grigsby college was the best decision he could have made. Grigsby has two bachelor’s and one master’s degree.

Grigsby received his  Bachelor of Science in practical ministry from Dallas Christian College. He also received his Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Lincoln Christian University. He will graduate in May from Dallas Christian College with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.