Pastor Lydia Ford of LifeWorks Church in the Cleveland area of Ohio, United States, has publicly introduced another woman as the second wife of her husband, Israel T. Ford, revealing that the couple have been living in a polygynous relationship.
Lydia made the announcement during a church service on Sunday, October 25, introducing church minister Shakayla Talley, now known as Shakayla Ford, as her husband’s second wife and her “sister in marriage”.
“My husband, our prophet, has a second wife. Y’all know her. Y’all love her,” Lydia told the congregation, explaining that Shakayla was already known to members through her ministry at the church.
The announcement drew mixed reactions from worshippers, with some applauding while others appeared surprised by the revelation.
Israel Ford, who founded LifeWorks Church in 2009 and serves alongside Lydia, subsequently announced the relationship on social media. He described Shakayla as his second wife and challenged the traditional Christian teaching that a man should have only one wife.
“As a nation we have been taught that a man should have one wife only. This is unbiblical,” he wrote, adding that he intended to explain his position in a sermon.
Reports on the announcement indicate that the relationship had been kept private for about three years. However, it remains unclear whether the reported marriage is legally recognised. Ohio law generally prohibits entering into a second legal marriage while a previous marriage remains in force.
LifeWorks Church, based in the Cleveland area, describes Israel and Lydia Ford as its ministry leaders. The announcement has prompted discussion online about marriage, biblical interpretation and expectations of Christian church leadership.
The couple’s arrangement has drawn particular attention because many Christian denominations teach monogamy as the standard for marriage, while interpretations of biblical passages concerning multiple wives vary among religious groups.