The Church is made up of Christians from a myriad of different professions, and yet their ordinary tales of God at work rarely get told. In this series, we bring you stories of faith on the frontline
My name is Mark Mitchell. I’m 63 and have run an automotive retail business for over 35 years. I studied economics at the University of Leeds and joined the motor trade at 21. In 1990, my wife Anita and I started the Mitchell Group with £100 share capital and a £10,000 overdraft. Today, our business employs 106 colleagues and represents Lexus, Mazda and Škoda.
I believe God called me to this sector. We serve 23,000 customers across Cheshire, Wirral and North Wales. We deliver 2,500 cars annually, complete 90 service visits daily and look after the car needs of almost 850 church leaders across the UK.
My faith shapes every part of the business. I am first and foremost a follower of Jesus. That means putting people before profit, never trading on Sundays and striving for excellence in everything we do.
The greatest joy of my work is to lead a team of 106 people. I lead with a pastoral heart and want my colleagues to flourish both personally and professionally. I call them ‘colleagues’, not ‘staff’, because it affirms their value. We celebrate together: Easter eggs, Christmas parties and even ice-creams when the temperature hits 25°C! We own a holiday lodge in Snowdonia which is free for our team to use, and we’re there for one another beyond the workplace.
Customer experience matters too. We provide bacon sandwiches for service customers and free car washes for life every Saturday morning. Every car buyer receives a bouquet of flowers, a handwritten thank you letter from me and an invitation to our annual carol service at Chester Cathedral. Anita and I visit every baby born to one of our colleagues - we give them a children’s Bible and a pair of wellington boots!
We’re part of a heavily measured industry and we’re proud of our positive reviews and extraordinarily low staff turnover. It shows we’re doing things with integrity and care. There are challenges, of course. Some customer expectations are occasionally unrealistic and the road to electrification is massively challenging for us right now.
I’ve been part of the same church for 60 years, surrounded by people who keep me grounded. I also meet regularly with other Christian business leaders for support and accountability. Please pray that I have integrity in my leadership and that, as Anita and I plan for the future, with our two very talented and committed sons, we stay open to God’s leading.
Mark Mitchell was speaking to Paul Woolley.
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