A United States-based pastor, Israel Ford, has sparked massive controversy online after announcing his marriage to a second wife during a church service, declaring that monogamy is unbiblical.
Ford, who is the founder and Prophet of LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe, Ohio, made the announcement on Sunday, October 26, 2026, in a video recorded inside the church and posted on his Facebook page.
In the video, Ford stood with his first wife, Pastor Lydia Ford, and his new wife, Shakayla Ford, as they addressed the congregation.
“I would like to introduce to the world, my second wife, Shakayla Ford!!!” he wrote.
“As a nation we have been taught that a man should have one wife only. This is unbiblical.”
The pastor said he will not bow to public opinion and urged followers to watch his full sermon on the subject, which he said would be uploaded later this week.
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👉 JOIN GISTSMATE WHATSAPP CHANNEL“I understand that this is an unpopular truth that we have gotten away from and many Pastors will not preach. I have no plans to choose pleasing man over what God has revealed,” he said.
“People may not accept this and choose to disconnect, and that is ok! This life will be over soon, and we can all laugh about it in Heaven. Until then, God bless.”
In a follow-up clip from the service, his first wife Lydia confirmed the arrangement, telling members:
“Prophet and I, we are living even right now in what we would call a polygynous marriage. My husband, our prophet, he has a second wife. Y’all know her. Y’all love her. Y’all benefit from her ministry every week.”
The second wife, Minister Shakayla, also spoke: “Cat’s out the bag. Elephants in the room. I have not been slighted, not one bit, and I have gained so much.”
Ford referenced Exodus 21:10 to defend his position, a verse that discusses a man’s obligations if he takes another wife.
The video has gone viral on X, Facebook and TikTok, generating heated debate about polygamy in Christianity.
Critics point to 1 Timothy 3:2 which says a church overseer must be “the husband of one wife,” while supporters point to Old Testament figures like Abraham, Jacob and David who had multiple wives.
LifeWorks Church was founded in 2009 and is run jointly by Israel and Lydia Ford.
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