CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland megachurch pastor says he had no knowledge of Ford’s second wife and will not allow his name or ministry to be linked to the arrangement
Bishop R.A. Vernon, senior pastor of The Word Church, has publicly condemned Prophet Israel Ford’s decision to live in a polygynous marriage and has fully distanced himself from the controversial pastor.
In a strongly worded video that has circulated widely on social media since late October 2026, Vernon addressed Ford’s recent announcement that he has been married to two women for nearly three years. Vernon made clear that he rejects any association with the arrangement and that he was unaware Ford had taken a second wife.
“I don’t play with my family, wife, or name,” Vernon said in the emotional message, speaking from an office setting. He explained that while he had previously allowed Ford and his first wife, Lydia Ford, to use one of The Word Church’s buildings for their ministry activities over several years, he had no knowledge of a second wife during that time.
Vernon stated that Ford had at times referred to him as a loose spiritual covering. After Ford’s public revelation and after Vernon’s name began circulating online in connection with the controversy, the bishop said he personally called Ford. He requested that Ford remove a video from Instagram in which Vernon appeared to speak positively about the couple in front of the church building. Ford complied and took the video down.
The rebuke comes after Ford, founder of LifeWorks Church in the Cleveland area, and his first wife introduced Minister Shakayla Ford as his “second wife” and Lydia’s “sister in marriage” during a church service on October 25, 2026. Ford has defended the polygynous arrangement as biblical, claiming God confirmed it through dreams shared with Shakayla during a 40-day fast, and has described the traditional Christian teaching of monogamy as “unbiblical.”
Vernon emphasized that the previous relationship was temporary and practical rather than a formal pastoral covering or close personal mentorship. He said the public nature of Ford’s announcement and the potential confusion it could create among younger believers compelled him to speak out clearly and permanently sever any remaining ties.
The statement marks one of the most direct public rejections of Ford’s lifestyle by a prominent Cleveland-area church leader since the announcement went viral.
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