Faith Facts

• Pastor Israel Ford of LifeWorks Church in Cleveland, Ohio, publicly admitted he has maintained two wives for the past three years.
• The pastor claims the practice of polygyny is endorsed by Scripture, contradicting both American law and historic Christian teaching.
• LifeWorks Church was co-founded in 2009 by Pastor Ford and his first wife, Lydia Ford.

Polygyny is illegal throughout the United States, yet Pastor Israel Ford of LifeWorks Church in Cleveland, Ohio, announced from the pulpit that he has been living with two wives for three years.

Ford told his congregation that having only one wife is unbiblical and that God permits the practice.

“Having only 1 wife is ‘unbiblical'”

The church was founded in 2009 by Pastor Ford and his first wife, Lydia Ford.

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Faith Facts

• Australian megachurch Pastor Russell Evans addressed Hispanic Christians on the need for believers to transform rather than conform to culture.
• Evans stressed that churches must remain contemporary and powerful in the ongoing battle for hearts and minds.
• The message highlights the call for Christians to actively engage and influence their generation through faith and values.

Australian megachurch Pastor Russell Evans delivered a bold challenge to Hispanic Christians, urging them to stand apart from the world while remaining engaged in it.

“Be transformers, not conformers,” Evans declared, calling believers to reject cultural compromise and instead shape society through the power of the Gospel.

Churches, he said, must be both contemporary and powerful to reach this generation amid what he described as a battle for hearts and minds.

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Faith Facts

• Disciple-making movements emphasize serious commitment to following Christ and making other disciples
• Traditional churches and new movements both have valid concerns about how the other approaches ministry
• Church planting movement principles have shown limited growth in Western contexts compared to other parts of the world

Disciple-making movements have raised important questions about how churches in the West are making followers of Jesus. These movements point to a genuine desire for deeper commitment to the Great Commission. Their critique of traditional structures comes from a concern that many established churches have lost focus on personal discipleship.

At the same time, traditional churches have raised concerns about the sustainability and doctrinal depth of newer movements. Both perspectives reflect a shared burden for reaching people with the gospel. The tension between these approaches reveals a broader question facing American Christianity.

Church planting movement principles that have seen dramatic growth in other parts of the world have struggled to produce similar results in Western nations. Cultural differences, established religious traditions, and societal attitudes toward faith all play a role in this disparity. The challenges are complex and require thoughtful examination rather than quick solutions.

This reality challenges established churches to consider whether new approaches might be needed. The call is not to abandon biblical truth but to examine whether current methods are effectively making disciples. Many traditional congregations are beginning to ask hard questions about their own fruitfulness in fulfilling Christ’s command.

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