Edward Grabovenko was born on July 7, 1969 in the city of Krivoy Rog, in Ukraine. He and his older brother were raised in a Christian home. In 1984 after finishing eighth grade, Edward was not allowed to continue his studies in high school. In the Soviet era children of Christian parents were not allowed to enter University. The best he could do was Vocational school.

In 1987, one day became a turning point in the life of Edward. He realized that his future does not depend on other people's opinions, but only on his own attitude toward life. The first Sunday after that Edward came to church. At the end of the service he went to the altar and knelt, crying and asking God for forgiveness. It was on that day there was his personal encounter with God that changed his life.

In Autumn of 1987 Edward was drafted into the Soviet Army. In 1989, after returning from the Army, he was baptized and decided to devote his life to God. He actively participated in youth ministry. In his spare time, after work, along with youth of the church he went around town with Bibles and Christian literature, organizing street libraries, telling people about God, which was quite bold under the Communist regime.

In October 1990 Edward got married. He met his future wife, Larissa, at church. Together they sang in a choir, participated in youth ministry. Now they have four sons: Vitaliy, Alexander, David, Elijah.

In December 1990, Edward went to Bible school in Jelgava (Latvia). "I remember the time when I was in Bible school. I prayed and planned to minister in a different city, more attractive to me than Perm. But when I prayed about it, the Holy Spirit convicted me. I asked myself: "What am I looking for?" And I realized that I was looking for my own way, not God’s will. Then I decided that I would go to a place where nobody wanted to go".

In 1991, Edward, along with a team of three missionaries arrived into the city of Perm in the Ural Mountains area to start a new church. The first service of New Testament church in Perm was held on June 26, 1991, the first new converts appeared. Today, 20 years after that day, the church in Perm has grown to 2500 people in attendance. More than 200 daughter churches were planted in Perm region, Republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, Komi Republic, and in the cities: Chelyabinsk, Voronezh, Ulyanovsk, Saratov, St. Petersburg.

In 1994, Edward graduated from International Bible Institute in Canada. In 1996 he received a certificate of ordination, which allows to preach throughout the world. In 1997, he was ordained a bishop.

In December 2009 Edward Grabovenko was elected the Head Bishop of the Russian Church of Evangelical Christians (Pentecostal Union of Russia).

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