Cleveland Pastor Reveals Second Wife After Nearly Three Years, Raising Questions Under Ohio's Bigamy Law

Ohio pastor Israel Ford's first wife introduced his second wife at a LifeWorks Church service near Cleveland on Sunday, 25 October, revealing a nearly three-year arrangement he defended through scripture and raising questions under Ohio's bigamy law.

A Nearly Three-Year Marriage Revealed From the Pulpit

At LifeWorks Church in Wickliffe near Cleveland on 25 October 2026, co-pastor Lydia Ford introduced Minister Shakayla Talley, now Shakayla Ford, as the second wife of her husband, church founder Israel Ford. The congregation stood and applauded. Ford later shared the moment on social media and said the widely held teaching that a man should have only one wife is 'unbiblical'.

Lydia Ford told the congregation that the three were living in what she called a 'polygynous marriage', a form of polygamy in which one man has more than one wife. She introduced Shakayla as her 'sister in marriage'. Shakayla said she was there to serve and submit, and suggested the arrangement could draw new people to the church. Ford founded LifeWorks in 2009 and is known to members as a prophet.

What Ohio's Bigamy Law Actually Says

The viral clip has travelled widely, raising a legal question about the arrangement. Ohio Revised Code section 2919.01 states that no married person shall marry another or continue to cohabit with that person in the state. A violation is bigamy, a first-degree misdemeanour that carries up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000 (£750).

The statute matters because of its wording. It does not only target a second marriage licence. It also refers to continued cohabitation with that person, although the Fords have not publicly established whether they share a household or whether any second marriage was legally registered.

What Remains Unconfirmed

Here is the detail still unresolved. Public reports have not established whether Ford's second marriage involved a civil licence or exists only as a religious covenant. That distinction, alongside evidence of cohabitation, could affect any legal assessment. A public declaration of a years-long marital arrangement does not prove an offence, and no charges against Ford have been publicly reported as of 27 October 2026.

It remains uncertain whether prosecutors would examine the arrangement. Even so, Ford's own public statements invite scrutiny of how Ohio's statute might apply, without establishing that its conditions were met. Ford promised to post his full sermon later in the week, leaving his complete scriptural case unconfirmed.

Part of a Wider US Pattern

Missouri pastor Rich Tidwell publicly defended polygamous marriage after taking a second wife, leaning on Exodus chapter 21, verse 10, which polygyny advocates read as regulating rather than banning the practice. Tidwell announced in 2025 that his second wife was expecting his eighth child. His case drew criticism in Christian media.

Together the two cases point to a small but recurring thread of US pastors who argue that scripture permits more than one wife. The Ford story sets faith against law. A congregation can applaud, and a minister can cite the Bible, yet neither changes what a state statute says. Whether prosecutors ever test that gap is the open question, and it is the part of this story that outlives the viral video.