American pastor Israel Ford has defended his decision to marry a second wife, saying he and the woman, Shakayla, experienced what he described as divine confirmation after a 40-day fast.
Ford, who leads LifeWorks Church in Ohio, made the disclosure in an Instagram video after a church service in which his first wife, Lydia, introduced Shakayla to the congregation as her husband’s second wife.
The announcement has drawn attention to questions about Christian marriage, the interpretation of scripture, the rights and wellbeing of spouses, and the legal implications of having more than one wife in the United States.
Pastor says first wife had to agree
Ford said his relationship with Shakayla developed while she was regularly helping his family, including caring for Lydia when she was ill.
“My wife is different from other women. She doesn’t mind that I look at other women. From there, to like Shakayla always being around, helping out when she was sick, cooking, cleaning, just doing different things, to the point I fell in love with her. I told her I don’t see Shakayla going anywhere. I don’t want to live outside the covenant or be sinful. I told her I wanted to pray about it.”
He said he discussed his feelings with Lydia and Shakayla before they decided to seek what he described as God’s direction.
“All three of us prayed and fasted about it. We agreed to do a 40-day fast, and in the middle of the fast, God spoke to me and Shakayla. We had a dream on the exact same night. The crazy part was He spoke to us and didn’t speak to her (first wife),”
Ford said he refused to proceed without Lydia’s approval because he did not want the decision to end his first marriage.
“But I told her, I would never marry her until you were okay with it. I can’t have two wives if I get a second one and the first one walks away. So, I had to wait. After God gave me the okay, she was like I just needed a little time and when she was okay, we crossed over,”
The account reflects Ford’s description of the events. The reported dreams and their interpretation as divine confirmation have not been independently verified.
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Why Ford decided to go public
Ford said he wanted to be open about his family arrangement because he believes religious leaders should practise what they teach.
He also said he had encountered men who wanted to take additional wives but were uncertain about how to reconcile that decision with their Christian faith.
On why he came out, Ford said, “I came out for two reasons. I believe that if you do something, you preach something, you should live it. I believe that transparency is everything. I know that I can’t help people if I’m not being an example. I started hearing stories, meeting men who wanted a second wife but didn’t know the scripture. I did it because I searched the scriptures and got confirmation for me. And when I teach it, you can help but say, ‘yeah, you are right.’”
His explanation presents the marriage as a religious conviction rather than a decision based solely on personal preference.
However, his interpretation is not universally accepted among Christians. Some denominations interpret biblical requirements that church leaders be “the husband of one wife” as excluding polygamous marriages. Others interpret biblical passages on marriage differently.
The dispute therefore extends beyond Ford’s household to the question of whether his understanding should guide other Christians.
What does the Bible say about having multiple wives?
Polygyny, a form of polygamy in which one man has multiple wives, appears in several accounts in the Bible, including the lives of figures such as Abraham, Jacob and David.
However, the presence of polygamous relationships in biblical narratives does not, by itself, establish that all Christian traditions regard the practice as acceptable.
The New Testament includes passages such as 1 Timothy 3:2, which says that a church overseer should be “the husband of one wife”. Christians disagree over how this requirement should be interpreted and whether it refers specifically to monogamy, marital faithfulness or both.
For example, the Southern Baptist Convention identifies polygamy as disqualifying for the pastoral or diaconal roles it discusses in its guidance on this passage.
Ford’s position therefore challenges a significant strand of mainstream Christian teaching. His personal account of prayer and fasting does not settle that theological disagreement.
Legal questions remain in Ohio
Ford’s announcement also raises questions about the legal status of his reported second marriage.
Ohio law prohibits a married person from marrying another person or continuing to cohabit with that person in the state. Section 2919.01 of the Ohio Revised Code classifies bigamy as a first-degree misdemeanour.
The legal question is distinct from the religious one. A couple’s belief that a marriage has divine approval does not, on its own, establish that the arrangement complies with state law.
The public announcement does not establish whether the second union was registered as a legally recognised marriage, how the couple’s living arrangements are structured, or whether authorities have examined the matter.
No conclusion about a criminal offence should be drawn from the announcement alone. The relevant legal facts would need to be established before reaching such a conclusion.
The possible benefits and risks for the family
Ford says he waited for Lydia’s approval before proceeding. That is relevant to understanding how he presents the decision, but it does not independently establish how each person experienced the process or whether agreement remained free from pressure throughout.
For families considering a similar arrangement, open communication may help clarify expectations about living arrangements, finances, parenting, intimacy and household responsibilities.
However, a decision that one spouse accepts may still create emotional strain, jealousy, unequal expectations or disagreements over time. A public declaration of unity cannot, on its own, establish that these challenges have been resolved.
The arrangement may also have consequences for children, if any are involved, as well as for inheritance, property and other family responsibilities. The available account does not provide enough information to determine how these issues apply to Ford’s household.
For the wider church community, the announcement may prompt discussions about scripture, pastoral accountability and the limits of a religious leader’s authority. It may also divide congregants who hold different views of marriage.
What happens next?
Ford’s explanation has placed his interpretation of Christian marriage before a much wider audience. His stated aim of helping men who are considering polygamy could encourage others to examine the biblical arguments, but his experience should not be treated as a universal rule for Christian relationships.
Further reporting would need to establish the legal status of the reported second marriage, seek responses from relevant church authorities, and examine the views of Christian theologians who disagree over the scriptural basis for polygyny.
It would also be important to hear directly from Lydia and Shakayla about their experiences and expectations, rather than relying only on Ford’s account.
For now, the central distinction remains between a pastor’s personal claim of divine confirmation, the different ways Christians interpret scripture, and the legal requirements governing marriage in the place where he lives.
Source: Israel Ford’s Instagram account; additional context from published reports and the Ohio Revised Code.
