One Pastor Has Two Wives, Another Says She Has Two Husbands, and Somebody Needs to Check the Church Directory

On The Dial | Faith, Culture, Broadcasting and Commentary

I’ve spent enough years behind a microphone and standing behind a pulpit to know that both professions have one thing in common: just when you think you’ve heard everything, somebody finds a way to make you check whether the microphone is actually on. Radio has given us some unforgettable moments, but lately, the church has been producing enough unexpected material to fill an entire morning show’s entertainment segment without requiring a single celebrity scandal. And this week’s discussion about pastors and marriage has reached a point where I’m beginning to wonder whether somebody has changed the format of Sunday morning worship without notifying the congregation.

First, we have a pastor who says he has two wives. Then another minister announces that she has two husbands.

At this point, the church directory is beginning to resemble a radio station’s ownership chart after three mergers and a bankruptcy.

And before anybody calls the denominational headquarters, there’s a rather important twist to the second story.

Because while one pastor is talking about two actual women, the other is talking about two personalities living inside one husband.

Church, please remain seated. The plot is about to thicken.

Pastor Israel Ford of LifeWorks Church in the Cleveland, Ohio, area recently attracted attention after publicly introducing Minister Shakayla Ford as his second wife, with his first wife, Lydia Ford, participating in the announcement.

According to Ford, the plural marriage arrangement has existed for nearly three years, and he believes his interpretation of Scripture supports it.

Now, I’m not here to tell grown people how to organize their household. But as a pastor, I am absolutely going to examine the biblical argument.

And as a married man, I am absolutely going to examine the nearest exit.

Because I have one wife, EuNique, and I can assure you that if I walked into our home and announced that I had found an additional first lady, the next announcement would be coming from the funeral home.

There would be no special church meeting.

No emergency session of the deacon board.

And certainly no need to call the district superintendent.

My wife would simply inform the congregation that Pastor Mills had received an unexpected promotion to glory.

And let me tell you, that would be one promotion I would not be celebrating.

Imagine being the church secretary responsible for the pastor’s anniversary celebration.

Normally, you order one bouquet of flowers, prepare one appreciation gift, and reserve a table for two.

Now you need a seating chart, a revised budget, and somebody from human resources.

And what happens when the pastor says, “I’d like to recognize my beautiful wife”?

Which one?

Do both stand?

Does the congregation applaud twice?

Does the organist play an additional selection?

Somebody call the music director. We’re going to need another verse.

Just when the internet was beginning to recover, Apostle Rhonda Royal Hatton entered the conversation with an announcement of her own.

She said she has two husbands, Maurice and Ian.

Now, before anybody starts searching for another marriage license, here’s the twist.

Maurice and Ian are the same man.

Her husband is Bishop Ian Maurice Hatton, and Rhonda was humorously describing two different sides of the man she’s been married to for 35 years.

One side is the thoughtful, spiritually grounded minister.

The other is the lively, protective, fun-loving man who enjoys dancing and having a good time.

In radio language, she didn’t add another station to the cluster. She simply discovered her husband was broadcasting on two different formats.

One is inspirational programming.

The other is rhythmic adult contemporary.

Same ownership. Same transmitter. Different dayparts.

And apparently, after 35 years, the ratings are still strong.

Now, that’s the kind of relationship I can appreciate.

Because anybody who’s been married long enough understands that your spouse can have several personalities depending on the circumstances.

My wife has Pastor Steve, Radio Steve, Hungry Steve, and Steve Who Knows He Forgot Something but Hasn’t Figured Out What It Is Yet.

Unfortunately, she also has Steve Who Thinks He’s Funny.

That particular format has been under review for several years.

And management has threatened to pull the license.

But the important distinction is that Rhonda wasn’t announcing a plural marriage. She was celebrating the different qualities of one husband.

Which makes her story very different from Pastor Ford’s.

And in an age when headlines travel faster than explanations, that distinction matters.

Now, I’ve had some fun with these stories, but there’s a serious theological conversation underneath all the laughter.

The Old Testament records several men who had multiple wives, including Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon.

But here’s something every student of Scripture needs to understand.

Just because the Bible records something doesn’t mean God is commanding us to repeat it.

The Bible also records jealousy, betrayal, family conflict, and some extraordinarily poor decisions.

And many of the biblical accounts involving multiple wives include precisely those kinds of complications.

Solomon, according to 1 Kings 11, had 700 wives and 300 concubines.

One thousand women.

That man didn’t need a marriage counselor.

He needed a scheduling department, a traffic controller, and a computer system capable of handling more requests than Ticketmaster.

And even with all those relationships, Scripture tells us his heart was turned away from God.

Genesis 2:24 describes a man leaving his father and mother and being united with his wife, with the two becoming one flesh.

Jesus returns to that foundation in Matthew 19:4–6.

And 1 Timothy 3:2 describes a church overseer as the husband of one wife, a passage that has been central to Christian teaching about marital faithfulness and pastoral qualifications.

There are legitimate historical and interpretive discussions surrounding these texts. But the overwhelming tradition of Christian teaching has upheld monogamous marriage.

And while Pastor Ford is entitled to explain his interpretation, those who follow his ministry are equally entitled to examine that interpretation carefully.

The pulpit is not a place where personal preferences automatically become biblical principles simply because somebody found a verse to support them.

That’s why context matters.

That’s why sound teaching matters.

And that’s why pastoral accountability matters.

A preacher’s responsibility isn’t simply to make an argument that sounds convincing.

It’s to handle Scripture faithfully.

Here’s where my years in broadcasting and ministry come together.

Radio personalities know that a provocative statement can get people talking. A headline about two wives or two husbands practically writes its own morning-show tease.

But a good broadcaster also knows the importance of the story behind the headline.

If we report that one pastor has two wives and another has two husbands without explaining the difference, we’ve entertained the audience while potentially misleading them.

And that isn’t good journalism.

That’s just a poorly produced bit with a very enthusiastic sound-effects machine.

A good headline gets attention. Good reporting earns trust.

The same principle applies to preaching.

We cannot take a single verse, remove it from its context, and build an entire doctrine around whatever happens to be convenient.

Just as a radio personality has a responsibility to listeners, a pastor has a responsibility to the congregation.

Both stand before audiences who are trusting them to communicate something meaningful.

And both should remember that credibility takes years to build and only moments to damage.

I don’t know every private detail of Pastor Ford’s household, and I’m not going to pretend that I do.

I do know that the theological questions raised by his public announcement deserve thoughtful examination.

And I know that Apostle Rhonda’s comments should be understood for what they were: a humorous celebration of the different sides of her longtime husband.

But if there’s one lesson in all of this, it’s that marriage requires commitment, faithfulness, honesty, and a healthy sense of humor.

I’ve got one wife.

One.

And I love her dearly.

She knows me better than almost anybody, has stood beside me through some of the most difficult moments of my life, and still somehow finds reasons to put up with me.

That alone is a miracle worthy of a testimony service.

I have absolutely no intention of introducing a second first lady.

I enjoy living.

And as far as I’m concerned, the marriage department at the Mills household is fully staffed.

No applications are being accepted.

No additional shifts are available.

And the general manager has made it abundantly clear that the current lineup is permanent.

So, to Pastor Ford, I say study the Word carefully. To Apostle Rhonda, congratulations on 35 years of marriage. And to everybody else, remember that having two personalities in one spouse is considerably less complicated than having two spouses with personalities of their own.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go hug my wife and remind her how much I love her.

Not because I’m worried.

But because I would very much like to remain on the air tomorrow.

At On The Dial, we believe the best stories can make you laugh, think, and occasionally reach for your Bible. Whether you’re behind a microphone or a pulpit, the responsibility remains the same: tell the truth, understand the context, and never confuse a great headline with the entire story.

I’ve shared some laughter with you today, but before you go, I want to ask for something that means more to me than any story I could ever write.

I’m Rev. Dr. Steven Mills, a Kansas pastor, husband, father, longtime broadcaster, and two-time cancer survivor. The treatments that saved my life from cancer also caused devastating damage to my kidneys. Today, I live with end-stage renal disease, perform dialysis at home, and desperately need a kidney transplant.

But finding a compatible donor is exceptionally difficult.

Because of my bone marrow transplant and previous blood transfusions, I am extremely highly sensitized. My immune system is likely to reject the overwhelming majority of donor kidneys, which makes finding a match extraordinarily challenging.

My blood type is O positive, but blood type alone isn’t enough.

I need someone whose kidney my body can safely accept.

I’ve been blessed to share my story through radio interviews, national conversations, and social media, reaching millions of people. Yet the one person who might be able to save my life may still be someone who hasn’t heard it.

That’s why I’m asking you to help.

Please visit https://FindMyOne.org.

You’ll find my story, interviews, videos, and information about becoming a living kidney donor.

If you’re able, please also consider supporting the medical and travel expenses associated with my ongoing dialysis and transplant evaluations. Every donation, every prayer, and every share matters.

You can read more about my journey here:

I have spent much of my life using microphones and pulpits to encourage others.

Today, I’m asking those who have heard my voice to help make sure it doesn’t go silent.

Millions have heard my story. I’m still looking for one compatible kidney donor.

Thank you for praying, sharing, and standing with my family.

With love and gratitude,

Rev. Dr. Steven D. Mills
https://FindMyOne.org

#DoYouSeeMe #LoveOutLoud

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