BY ISSAH OLEGOR
An American pastor, Israel Ford, has sparked widespread debate after publicly introducing his second wife, Minister Shaqayla Ford, to his congregation, with his first wife, Pastor Lydia, personally announcing the polygynous marriage during a church event.
The unusual public disclosure has attracted attention on social media, particularly because Pastor Lydia appeared alongside her husband to introduce Shaqayla to the congregation, describing the arrangement as part of what she believes is God’s will for their family.
Ford, who is associated with LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe, Ohio, announced his marriage to Shaqayla, formerly known as Shaqayla Talley, in a Facebook post on Sunday, October 25, 2026.
Footage from the event, reportedly held at a ministry venue bearing the words Kingdom Marriage, showed Israel Ford and Pastor Lydia approaching a microphone to address the congregation about their family arrangement.
First Wife Makes Shocking Announcement
In a moment that caught the attention of the congregation, Pastor Lydia revealed that her husband had a second wife before inviting Shaqayla to join them at the front.
“My husband, our Prophet, has a second wife. You all know her. You all love her. You all benefit from her ministry every week,” she told the audience.
Her announcement was reportedly met with applause as she introduced Shaqayla, who serves as a minister within their religious circle.
Pastor Lydia’s participation in the announcement has become one of the most talked-about aspects of the story, given the sensitivity surrounding polygynous marriages and the questions they often raise about relationships, religious interpretation and family dynamics.
Rather than presenting the development as a private marital matter, the couple chose to disclose the arrangement publicly before their congregation.
Second Wife Says She Has Not Been Sidelined
Shaqayla also addressed the congregation, acknowledging the attention surrounding the revelation.
“Cat is out the bag,” she said, signalling that the previously undisclosed arrangement was now public.
She insisted that becoming Ford’s second wife had not diminished her position or made her feel overlooked. “I have not been slighted, not one bit. And I have gained so much,” she said.
Shaqayla further described the relationship as a family arrangement rather than a rivalry between the women, rejecting suggestions that the household was defined by conflict.
According to her, the family dynamic reflected what she believed God wanted to establish, adding that the arrangement was not about individual competition.
She also clarified that she was not seeking to take Pastor Lydia’s place in the ministry.
“I’m not a pastor, please. I’m not here to take any light from Pastor Lydia. Not at all. I’m here to serve, to help, to submit to the prophet,” she told the congregation.
Her comments appeared intended to address possible concerns about the respective positions of the two women within the household and their religious community.
Marriage Has Reportedly Lasted Nearly Three Years
During the announcement, Pastor Lydia disclosed that Israel Ford and Shaqayla had been married for nearly three years, suggesting that the relationship had existed well before the public revelation.
Shaqayla also indicated that the arrangement had continued to develop positively, describing her experience as one that “keeps getting better.”
She reportedly said that people from other states had contacted them to express interest in similar family arrangements. She also referenced individuals who, according to her account, had faced rejection or expulsion from other churches over their involvement in comparable relationships.
However, the claims about other individuals and their experiences were presented through Shaqayla’s account and were not independently established in the material surrounding the announcement.
Pastor Defends Second Marriage With Biblical Argument
In his Facebook announcement, Israel Ford defended his decision to marry a second wife, arguing that the expectation of monogamy had been presented as a biblical requirement when, in his interpretation, Scripture did not support that position.
“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 only one wife. This is unbiblical,” he wrote.
Ford encouraged followers to watch a sermon in which he intended to explain his position in greater detail.
He also acknowledged that his decision could prove unpopular among members of the public and within religious circles, potentially leading some people to distance themselves from him.
“I understand that this is an unpopular truth that we have gotten away from, and many Pastors will not preach,” he stated, adding that he had no intention of choosing public approval over what he believed God had revealed to him.
Ford concluded his post by referencing Exodus 21:10 in the New King James Version of the Bible, a passage concerning a man’s obligations to a wife when he takes another wife.
