US Pastor Israel Ford Defends Having Two Wives Amid Criticism, Challenges Biblical Interpretation
- US-based Pastor Israel Ford went viral after introducing his second wife to his church congregation
- Ford pushed back against the biblical teaching that a church leader should be the husband of one wife
- The pastor appeared alongside both wives in an interview, drawing strong reactions from Nigerians online
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A US-based pastor has sparked fresh debate online after standing his ground on his decision to live with two wives simultaneously, dismissing criticism from fellow Christians.
Pastor Israel Ford, who recently went viral after presenting his second wife to his church congregation, appeared alongside both women in an interview on the Larry Reid Live YouTube channel, published on October 27, 2026.
Source: Instagram
The discussion centred on whether his lifestyle contradicts Christian scripture.
One of the most-cited objections to Ford's arrangement is the biblical instruction that a church leader should be the husband of one wife.
The pastor addressed this directly, arguing that the passage does not apply to him.
"One, I'm not a bishop nor am I a deacon. Two, if that's actually what that meant, then that would only pertain to those who are on that level of leadership," he said.
Israel Ford also argued that many biblical instructions were shaped by the cultural conditions of their time and cannot be applied uniformly today
He pointed to the passage directing women to stay silent in church, questioning why Christians are willing to contextualise that teaching culturally but refuse to extend the same reasoning to the passage on church leaders and marriage.
“Why accept one and reject the other?”
The pastor also admitted that he has grown tired of defending his position to people who have already made up their minds, saying their dismissal of his explanations as mere excuses leaves little room for meaningful dialogue.
Watch Pastor Israel Ford defend having two wives in the YouTube video below:
Nigerians react to Pastor Israel Ford's defence
The interview drew significant attention from Nigerian social media users, with many weighing in on the controversy:
@jojepstimsy commented:
"It's is not a problem if he is an ordinary person but for a pastor it is a big issue"
@chiexclusivehubs wrote:
"Abeg make una no confuse me na 😩 onto this religion matter"
@temi_atdmoment reacted:
"They should not worry I give them 12 months they will soon come back online to tell us how everything went 😂😂😂😂 we will hear to listen with our 🍿"
@businessinenugu said:
"😂😂😂😂😂 if this was a real marriage it wouldn't be here on the internet 😂😂 why una dey try too hard to explain 😂😂"
@aydelgroup wrote:
"Why not just peacefully convert to the religion that permits this ???? Christianity doesn't permit this, Islam does."
@karenblqk commented:
"I will always blame the women who allow themselves to be found in such setting 😂😂😂 could never be me!!!!"
@smplyjessie1 shared:
"With the utmost respect, I kindly suggest he look into converting to Islam."
Source: Instagram
Yul Edochie defends polygamy, cites Bible
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nollywood actor Yul Edochie reaffirmed his support for polygamy after US-based pastor Israel Ford introduced his second wife, Shakayla Ford, to his church congregation.
In posts shared on X on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, Yul argued that polygamy was not a sin, citing biblical figures who had multiple wives and insisting that the practice did not contradict God's will.
His comments sparked mixed reactions online, with some social media users criticising his position while others supported his views.
Source: Legit.ng
