Griffen was born October 19th, 2000, in Knoxville to parents Burney and Brandi Smith. He also has a twin brother, Spencer, as well as 2 dogs and 2 cats at home. Griffen first felt a call to ministry around 8th grade and became a candidate for the ministry in 2017. He graduated from UT in 2023 with an arts degree in French and Religious Studies. He is currently in a French Master’s program and plans to attend divinity school/seminary next fall.