Deacon Henry Griffin was born on September 27, 1926 to Georgia and Oliver Griffin. He was the sixth of the nine children born to the family. He was born on the family farm in Jackson Mississippi. His grandfather, Papa Wiley Griffin, owned several hundred acres of farmland where he raised cattle as well as various crops which were among the items he sold in two family-owned grocery stores. Deacon Henry Griffin was raised with an honorable legacy of service and family has sustained him through the years.

In 1945, Henry Griffin was drafted into the United States Army during World War II where he served in both France and Germany. Following his discharge, Henry’s father encouraged him to move to Chicago where he worked during the day and continued his education at night under the GI Bill. The Virginia Board of Education awarded Deacon Griffin “in grateful recognition of personal sacrifice made to ensure the safety and security of our country and all mankind and in acknowledgement of a lifetime of learning and achievement that has enriched our community and our country.” Henry Griffin was employed for 32 years by the People’s Gas Company. He retired as a foreman.

While Henry was raised in the church, he was not raised in an Apostolic family. On March 19, 1950, Henry Griffin was invited to Indiana Avenue Pentecostal Church where he heard Elder Charles H. Ellis, the church’s pastor, preach from Acts that Cornelius was a good man who was not ready for heaven. The message resonated with Henry Griffin and that same day, he was baptized in Jesus’ name and filled with the Holy Spirit. Henry Griffin immediately began to work in the church, first as a Sunday School teacher where he served for 40 years, eventually becoming the superintendent in the 1990s. He was appointed Deacon under Pastor Odee Akins and was elevated to Chairman of the Board of Directors under Bishop Charles Davis. He has faithfully executed his role as Deacon for more than 65 years and is the only living one of the 5 original signers of the Articles of Incorporation and Board of Directors of IPC. He continues to fulfill his heartfelt obligation to encourage the well-being of the members in love. Through his time in service to the Lord, Deacon Griffin has held many positions and untiringly served the people of God personally and also supported various auxiliaries. Above all, his life has been an example to the younger members of the congregation, especially the young men who have come to respect and love Deacon Griffin as father in Christ and a father figure and role model for their own lives.

It was at Indiana Avenue that Bro. Griffin met the beautiful Doris Ellis (not a member of the famous Ellis family). She was one of the Earnest Allen Singers invited to worship in song that day. The couple was married on June 23, 1951. The couple’s five children were raised to love the Lord, seek an education, and excel in the tradition of the family. Today, the Griffin offspring have devoted themselves to helping others in various religious and secular careers. The Griffins have 12 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren with two on the way. The legacy of excellence has continued unto a fourth generation, assuring that Deacon Griffin’s legacy will live on.