God’s work at the salon: Maidstone hairdresser on her way to becoming a priest

Whenever we go to the hair salon, we often build a friendly relationship with our hairdressers and barbers. A Maidstone hairdresser, however, is taking the classic salon chit-chat to a whole new level.

Anthea Mitchell has been working as a hairdresser for three decades and now owns her father’s hair salon in King Street, Maidstone. But she has another dream, which was sadly put aside since her university years when studying Philosophy and Theology.

Anthea has always wanted to become a priest.

Now, thanks to the rise in gender diversity in the Church of England, Anthea is on her way to becoming a working vicar, while still owning and working at her hair salon.

Anthea aims to balance both elements of her life, giving her clients the option to engage in religious conversations while giving them a stylish haircut.

Anthea’s journey has just begun but she has already received immense support from her church friends and work colleagues.

Tracy Sherwood-Farnfield met Anthea years ago in a home church group and could not be more proud and excited about her friend’s life-changing choice. She described the news as “surprising, but not shocking.”.

“Anthea is the sort of person who just loves learning. She will always be learning something new. So it didn’t surprise me at all that she was returning to studying.” she said.