An Ohio pastor is stirring up controversy after publicly revealing that he has two wives and claiming that the traditional Christian understanding of marriage between one man and one woman is actually unbiblical.
Pastor Israel Ford, who founded LifeWorks Church in the Cleveland area with his wife, Lydia, in 2009, made the revelation during an Oct. 25 church service. According to The Christian Post, Ford has been in what he describes as a marriage with a second woman for nearly three years.
In a social media post introducing his second wife, minister Shakayla, the pastor made a stunning declaration about his understanding of Scripture.
“As a nation we have been taught that a man should have one wife only. This is unbiblical,” Ford wrote.
He went on to defend his position, insisting that his beliefs came from God.
“I have no plans to choose pleasing man over what God has revealed,” Ford continued. “People may not accept this and choose to disconnect, and that is ok!”
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During the church service, Lydia Ford personally introduced Shakayla to the congregation, referring to her as a “sister in marriage.”
As ChurchLeaders reported, Lydia described their relationship as a polygynous marriage, meaning one man having multiple wives.
“My husband, our prophet, he has a second wife,” Lydia told the congregation, explaining that Shakayla was already actively involved in the ministry. The announcement was met with applause.
Shakayla also addressed the congregation, maintaining that the arrangement reflected God’s will and describing their relationship as a strong family.
Ford pointed to Exodus 21:10 to support his position. The Old Testament passage addresses a man taking a second wife and outlines his responsibilities to the first.
However, the pastor’s interpretation directly contradicts the biblical foundation of marriage established from the very beginning.
In Genesis 2:24, God established marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman, declaring that the two would become one flesh. Jesus Himself reaffirmed this design in Matthew 19:4-6, making clear that marriage was never intended to be redefined by human desires or cultural preferences.
The New Testament goes even further when addressing those called to lead God’s people. First Timothy 3:2 explicitly states that an overseer must be the husband of one wife. While the Old Testament records instances of polygamy, the presence of those accounts does not mean God established multiple wives as His design for marriage.
Scripture is clear: God designed marriage as one man and one woman joined in a sacred, lifelong covenant. No claimed prophetic revelation, personal conviction or reinterpretation of isolated Bible passages can override what God has already established in His Word. We must remember that Satan loves to take truth from the Bible and twist it for his own purposes, something he even tried to do with Jesus when He was in the wilderness during His forty-day fast.
At this critical hour, the church must remain anchored in Scripture’s truth. God’s Word is not subject to society’s changing opinions or even the declarations of those behind a pulpit. The church’s responsibility is not to redefine marriage but to uphold the covenant God established from the beginning.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the newly released book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Learn more about Abby at abbytrivett.com.
