A United States-based pastor, Israel Ford, has stirred controversy after announcing his marriage to a second wife and declaring that the belief that a man should have only one wife is unbiblical.
Ford, associated with LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe, Ohio, made the announcement on Facebook on Sunday, sharing a video recorded inside the church.
In the post, the pastor introduced his new wife, Shakayla Ford, while identifying his first wife as Lydia Ford, who was also present at the church.
He publicly welcomed Shakayla into the family, describing her as his second wife.
Ford argued that the teaching that a man should have only one wife was a belief passed down through society rather than a biblical requirement.
He wrote that the nation had been taught to accept monogamy as the standard for marriage, insisting that the teaching was not supported by the Bible.
The pastor also urged his followers to watch a sermon addressing the controversial subject, which he said would be uploaded later in the week.
According to him, the issue was an unpopular truth that many pastors were unwilling to preach about.
Ford further declared that he had no intention of changing his position merely to win public approval, insisting that he would prioritise what he believed God had revealed to him.
He acknowledged that his announcement might upset some people and cause them to distance themselves from him.
However, the pastor said he was prepared to accept such reactions, adding that those who disagreed with him were free to disconnect.
He ended his message by expressing confidence that the controversy would eventually become insignificant in the afterlife.
The announcement has drawn attention to the longstanding debate over marriage, biblical interpretation and whether scriptural references to polygamy should be understood as permitting the practice today.
Ford’s position challenges the monogamous marriage model widely practised in the United States and many other countries, where having multiple spouses simultaneously is generally prohibited by civil law.
