Pastor Israel Ford and his co-pastor wife, Lydia Ford, of LifeWorks Church in the Cleveland, Ohio area, went viral after publicly revealing their three-year polygamous marriage during a Sunday worship service.
The Revelation
During the service, the pastor's first wife, Lydia Ford, took the microphone to introduce the second wife, Minister Shakayla Ford, referring to her as her "sister in marriage".
Shakayla then joined the couple on stage, acknowledging the "elephant in the room" and stating that the arrangement was the "will of God". The church's leadership revealed that the three had secretly been married for three years.
The Congregation's Reaction
Rather than meeting the unconventional announcement with backlash, the immediate congregation inside the church responded with cheers, applause, and a standing ovation.
The leaders expressed hope that their disclosure would make their church a "trailblazer" and a safe haven for others navigating similar non-traditional relationships.
The Broader Fallout
While the immediate congregation supported the news, the announcement sparked intense debate online:
- The Theological Debate: Pastor Ford defended the union on social media, claiming that teaching men to have only one wife is "unbiblical".
Critics quickly countered by pointing out New Testament scriptures (such as 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6) that explicitly mandate that church overseers and elders must be the "husband of one wife".
- Legal Questions: Legal observers noted that polygamy is illegal in the state of Ohio, where bigamy is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor, raising questions about the legal standing of the union.
