Overview
- Pastor Israel Ford introduced Minister Shakayla as his second wife in a service and a Facebook video, and said he has lived with two wives for about three years, according to coverage and the posted clip from Sunday.
- Prophetess Lydia Ford publicly welcomed Shakayla as her "sister in marriage," and both women described the household as a unified family rooted in religious belief.
- Ford declared the one‑wife teaching "unbiblical" and said he will publish a full sermon explaining the scriptural basis for the arrangement.
- Reporters sought comment from LifeWorks Church but had not received an institutional response, while two current members and one ex‑member told reporters the video and marriage are real; no legal charges or formal actions have been reported.
- Because polygyny is illegal in the U.S., the pastors’ public announcement could invite legal scrutiny and highlights the pastoral claim that some people in plural partnerships are excluded from other churches and need worship space.