SON GETS HAIRCUT … ”Mom said to cut your hair today, and I listen to the wife,” Barber Kenny Williams said with a smile as he had his son Jaxon hop up to get his haircut. Williams is very happy to have his shop open again now that he has his Barber’s license and has passed the state boards. Barbershop Ministry is open for business in Stryker for anyone looking for a great haircut. It continues to be open to ministry, especially to help men struggling with addictions. (PHOTO BY REBECCA MILLER, STAFF)
By: Rebecca Miller
Kenny Williams was born and raised in Stryker, Ohio, spending many hours at his Dad’s Chiropractic Clinic, attending Stryker Local Schools and going to church with his family.
Despite the fact that he was raised in a home where Jesus was loved and taught, he says, “I turned a blind eye to Christ for many years.”
Kenny became an alcoholic, went through a bad divorce and lived a hard life until in July 2017, his wife Haley left him. “That was when I had my ‘come to Jesus’ moment!” he said.
After seventeen years as an alcoholic, he panicked and didn’t know what to do. He grabbed his phone and called Chris Pierce who was pastor at the time at Christ Community Church, in Ridgeville Corners. “Pastor Chris saved my life,” Williams said.
“He dropped everything and came to be with me. We drank coffee and read the Bible and he stayed till midnight that night. He made sure I was never alone for a whole week, so I wouldn’t drink.”
“He lined up a whole team of men who came to be with me for that week to keep me from drinking. He had me reading the book of James over and over. After three or four months I was sober.”
Kenny went on to share that when his buddies asked how he did it, he started doing for them what Chris did for him. He has not had a drop of alcohol since July 7, 2017 and is passionate to help other men get sober also.
When asked how his desire to help addicts got connected with being a barber, he shared that as he was growing up, Kenny’s dad, Dr. Gery Williams always cut his hair.
At the age of 14 Kenny took over for him in cutting his siblings’ hair. He has always loved cutting hair and would cut it for his friends and family on weekends, being self-taught for over twenty five years now.
Over the weeks and months that Chris Pierce was ministering to Kenny, he would mention that it would be a good idea to become a barber and let that be his ministry.
“He fed wisdom and dreams into my heart as he helped me get sober and get right with Jesus,” Kenny said. At first, after Williams bought the little building in downtown Stryker, he called it “Big Kenny’s Barbershop” because that is how people knew him.
Now the name is changed to “Barbershop Ministry.” “It is not about me,” he declared, “It is about Jesus and what He can do in your life.”
About six months into having the building, cutting his buddies hair for a donation, and doing mens’ ministry, he had a visit from the Ohio State Cosmetology and Barber Board.
They advised him that he had to have a license so off he went to Toledo Barber College for the next 18 months. He got his license, graduating in April of this year (2022) and on May 23, 2022 he passed his state board test.
The very next day he was on Facebook, announcing that he is back, ready to cut hair and keep on ministering. He held his Thursday night Men’s Meeting all through that time, but was only cutting hair at the Barber college.
Kenny is now a full-time barber and looks forward to your business with the following prices: Men’s cut-20$; Beards-5$; Full service, haircut,hot soap steam towel straight razor-30$; Senior cut over 62years old-10$; Child cut under 15years old -15$; Design-30$; Line up -10$.
Besides going to Barber College, Kenny also took a class at the church where he and his family attend, New Hope Community in Bryan.
It was for counseling and he is now a Care Minister at New Hope, specializing in helping men with addictions and helping when divorce is an issue. His ministry takes place at “Barbershop Ministry” which is set up in an inviting way.
Couches, coffee, a wall of graffiti done by local artist Kenny Horst, tables and chairs, a fridge full of pop and water, and a safe atmosphere. “
We started with three men and now we have between 25 and 30 members of the Thursday night group. There are usually around 20 here every Thursday,” he said.
The ministry is official as well, with board members and staff who can step in when Kenny can’t be there. He has surrounded himself with godly men who want to minister to others just as he does.
Immediately upon passing his boards, he asked his dad to be his first client in the barbershop portion of the building, giving him a hot towel shave.
Kenny Williams is five years sober and wants to help others who struggle with addictions…any kind of addictions, not just drugs and alcohol.
“Addiction is a horrible thing,” he said, adding that even though the group on Thursdays is supportive to addicts who want to be free, there are other men who just want the fellowship and a time to hang out with other men, who come on Thursday evenings from 7-8.
About four months in to his freedom, Kenny’s wife and kids came home. He is a very happy man, loving being a dad now that his children can look up to, because he follows Christ and ministers to others.
He and Haley have been married eleven years. “She has been a beacon to pull me back to the light,” was his description of his wife who stands by him.
Some of the highlights in this ministry are little things that mean a lot. For example, he wanted and has a church pew for men to wait their turn in the barbershop or just sit and visit with him while he cuts hair.
The graffiti wall is special to him as he was sure he wanted one when he opened. He does hope to have other barbers in the future who join him but they have to have a heart for ministry. “It’s not just about cutting hair.”
Kenny’s description of Barbershop Ministry on FB says it so clearly, “Barbershop Ministry is a foundational Biblical recovery men’s ministry, in an old school barbershop atmosphere, focused on fellowship and fades for faith.”
“I am a master barber who enjoys building relationships with my clients while performing services, including but not limited to mens haircuts, hot steam straight razor shaves, and beard trims. “
“Also, on Thursday nights I hold a men’s ministry fellowship night here at the shop from 7-8 p.m. Feel free to come in and check it out! I do walk-ins and appointments.”
“You can reach me at 419-630-4321, stop on in at 205 S. Defiance St., Stryker, or even connect through Facebook.”
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com