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A United States-based pastor, Israel Ford, has announced his marriage to a second wife, describing monogamy as unbiblical.
Ford, who is associated with LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe, Ohio, made the announcement in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday, accompanied by a video recorded in the church.
He introduced his new wife as Shakayla Ford and appeared alongside his first wife, Lydia Ford, at the church.
“I would like to introduce to the world, my second wife, Shakayla Ford!!!
“As a nation we have been taught that a man should have one wife only. This is unbiblical,” Ford said.
The pastor urged his followers to watch the church’s full sermon on the subject, which he said would be uploaded later in the week.
“I encourage you to watch today’s sermon in its entirety (uploaded later this week). I understand that this is an unpopular truth that we have gotten away from and many Pastors will not preach,” he said.
Ford added that he would rather please God than man.
“I have no plans to choose pleasing man over what God has revealed,” he stated.
Ford acknowledged that some people may reject his position, saying, “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 the video, his first wife, Lydia Ford, who co-leads the ministry founded in 2009, also addressed the congregation.
She revealed she was in a polygynous marriage with her husband.
“My husband, our prophet, he has a second wife,” she said, introducing Shakayla as “Prophet’s wife and my sister in marriage.”
She reminded the congregation that Shakayla was already known to them, noting, “You know her. You benefit from her ministry every week.”
After the introduction, Shakayla joins them the pulpit amid thunderous applause from the congregation.
Hugging Israel and Lydia separately, she proceeds to confirm the marital arrangement.
“Cat’s out the bag. Elephants in the room,” she said, adding that she had not been slighted and described the arrangement as a family dynamic.
