From Scissors to Scripture: How God Called a Hairstylist to Pastor a Nation
By Wendy Payne
Never in my wildest imagination did I think God would call “ME” to preach His Word.
My journey began as a young married woman, newly postpartum with my first child, working as a hairstylist in a salon. I had big dreams—of one day owning my own business and making it big in the beauty industry. But God had other plans. Don’t we all love a good “God had other plans” story?
My husband and I were attending a small church in a Northern Ontario community when an influx of teenagers started showing up. One day, our pastor said, “Well, you’re the closest to their age… we now dub you youth leaders.” We were honoured—also terrified. Teenagers have a way of doing that!
To say we were green in the Word of God would be an understatement. I had to use the table of contents to find most books in the Bible. But we had willing hearts and an eagerness to serve. We dove into scripture alongside our newfound teen friends—and something ignited in me. A deep passion to make ministry part of my life, in whatever way God needed.
Through several moves, I kept saying “yes” to youth ministry. One life-changing day, as I styled hair for Grade 8 grads in my salon, I got a phone call that shifted everything again. A former youth pastor friend—now a lead pastor in Sault Ste. Marie—offered me the role of youth pastor at his church. The church board had one request: I go to Bible college.
I was 40 years old.
After much prayer and family discussion, we sold our home and my salon. We made a pact—my husband and I—that we would never put ministry before our family. We would never be out “saving souls at the risk of our daughter’s salvation.” And with that commitment, we stepped into the unknown and a new journey began…
I enrolled in Bible college, juggling courses online and in-person while working bi-vocationally as a pastor, mom, and wife for over 10 years. It was hard. I often questioned God. But He provided—jobs for my husband, finances, and strength.
Graduation day finally arrived. I was 50. Walking down the aisle in the church sanctuary where the ceremony was held, I wept—the ugly cry. While my 22-year-old peers fist-pumped, I was overwhelmed with gratitude: “I can’t believe I did it!”
But what next? As a woman credentialed in the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, I knew I was in the minority. Women leaders were welcomed but I feared I’d always be an assistant, never a lead. I poured out my concerns to our Regional Director. He didn’t sugar-coat it—yes, I’d have to prove myself. But he believed in the call on my life.
Soon after, we were invited to plant a church on Manitoulin Island. We prayed, said yes, and watched God provide in miraculous ways. That ministry saw countless lives transformed. Later, I became Lead Pastor in Paris, Ontario, and eventually took on my current role as New Churches Network Director for the PAOC Western Ontario District.
This is the short version of a long journey. Ministry as a woman hasn’t always been easy. I’ve walked into many rooms as the only woman at the table. I’ve faced rejection—not just from men, but even from pastors’ wives. But through it all, I’ve learned to root my identity in Christ. That revelation led me to write a 30-day devotional titled “Lord, Why Are My Thighs Not Like Hers?”—a journey of discovering confidence and purpose in God.
If you’re a woman wondering if leadership or ministry is for you, let me encourage you: You belong at the table. Not with arrogance, but with the confidence that comes only from Jesus. If He called you, He will equip you—just as He did for me.
Today, I stand in awe. I’ve preached across Canada and beyond. I’ve written three books. I’ve led churches, pastored youth, mentored leaders, and now support church planters across our region. All by the grace of God. Every day, I thank Him for what I get to do.
If God can take this hairstylist and turn her into a pastor, imagine what He can do through you.
Follow Wendy on IG @wendyjpayne
