An Ohio pastor has publicly announced that he is married to a second wife, arguing that the belief a man should have only one wife is not supported by the Bible.
Israel Ford, who is associated with LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe, Ohio, shared the announcement Sunday in a post on Facebook. The post included a video recorded inside the church and identified his new wife as Shakayla Ford.
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Ford said he was appearing with both Shakayla and his first wife, Lydia Ford, when he made the announcement.
“I would like to introduce to the world, my second wife, Shakayla Ford!!!” he wrote.
The pastor also challenged the traditional view of marriage commonly held by many Christian denominations. According to Ford, Americans have been taught that a man should have only one wife, but he believes that teaching is “unbiblical.”
“As a nation we have been taught that a man should have one wife only. This is unbiblical,” Ford wrote.
Ford encouraged his followers to watch a sermon in which he planned to explain his interpretation of the Bible and his position on plural marriage. He said the full sermon would be uploaded later in the week and suggested that many pastors avoid discussing the topic because it is controversial.
“I encourage you to watch today’s sermon in its entirety,” Ford wrote. “I understand that this is an unpopular truth that we have gotten away from and many Pastors will not preach.”
The pastor also acknowledged that his announcement could lead some people to distance themselves from him or his church. However, he said he would not change his position simply because it was unpopular.
“I have no plans to choose pleasing man over what God has revealed,” Ford stated.
Ford concluded by telling followers that some people might reject his beliefs and sever their connection with him.
“People may not accept this and choose to disconnect, and that is ok!” he wrote. “This life will be over soon, and we can all laugh about it in Heaven. Until then, God bless.”
The announcement has sparked debate because most Christian churches in the United States teach monogamous marriage, while interpretations of biblical references to plural marriage vary widely among religious scholars and denominations. Ford’s claim that monogamy is “unbiblical” reflects his personal theological interpretation and is not a position shared by many mainstream Christian traditions.