I’ll be honest with you. I spent a good chunk of time digging into Art TerKeurst. Most people hear his name and immediately think, “Oh, Lysa TerKeurst’s ex-husband.” But there’s a lot more to this man than that one sentence. He built real wealth, ran real businesses, and lived a messy, complicated life just like the rest of us. So let’s get into all of it—the money, the career, the affair, the divorce, and where he is today.
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Who Is Art TerKeurst? A Quick Bio
Personal Biography
| Full Name | Art TerKeurst |
| Date of Birth | February 1966 |
| Age (as of 2026) | 60 years old |
| Place of Birth | Vestavia Hills, Alabama, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White / Caucasian |
| Religion | Christian (faith-driven upbringing) |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (173 cm) |
| Weight | Approx. 143 lbs (65 kg) |
| Physical Features | Brown hair, brown eyes |
| Father | Dudley TerKeurst (private figure) |
| Mother | Sharon TerKeurst |
| Current Residence | Waxhaw, North Carolina, USA |
| Social Media | No active public profiles on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook |
Art TerKeurst Basic Facts — Age, Birthday, and Background
Art TerKeurst was born in February 1966 in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, to parents Sharon and Dudley TerKeurst. That makes him 60 years old as of 2026. He grew up in a household rooted in faith and Southern values. Those values, believe it or not, shaped almost every big decision he made as an adult. He’s not someone who grew up rich or famous. He came from a regular American family with regular American values. His parents raised him to work hard, believe in God, and show up every single day.
He attended West Morris Mendham High School and later graduated from Winthrop University in South Carolina. At Winthrop, he studied business. That choice turned out to be a pretty smart one. He took those business lessons and built something that most people never get close to building. We’ll get to the money part soon, I promise.
Educational Background
| High School | West Morris Mendham High School |
| College / University | Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina |
| Years Attended | 1984 – 1989 |
| Degree | Not publicly specified; business-relevant background inferred from career trajectory |
| Key Skills Developed | Operations Management, Marketing, Business Analysis, Training, Microsoft Office |
| Post-College Training | Chick-fil-A’s rigorous multi-month franchise operator training program (early 1991) |
What Does Art TerKeurst Look Like? Height, Photos, and Images
Art keeps a very low profile. You won’t find him posting selfies or going on talk shows. As of 2024, Art continues to reside in Waxhaw, North Carolina, and run his Chick-fil-A franchise in the Charlotte area. He stays local, stays quiet, and stays out of the spotlight. Most photos of him come from older family photos linked to Lysa’s ministry work. He’s a regular-looking guy. No flashy watch. No celebrity glow. Just a businessman who’d rather be behind the counter than in front of a camera.
Where Is Art TerKeurst From? His Florida Connection
Art was born in Alabama. He went to school in South Carolina. He built his career in North Carolina. People sometimes mention Florida in connection with the TerKeurst family, but Art’s home base has long been the Charlotte, North Carolina area. That’s where he built his business empire, such as it is. That’s where his kids grew up. And that’s where he still lives today.
Art TerKeurst Net Worth — The Real Numbers
| Estimated Net Worth (2025–2026) | $3 million – $5 million (some sources estimate $1M–$3M after divorce costs) |
| Primary Income Source | Chick-fil-A franchise ownership and operations (two Charlotte-area locations) |
| Wealth Built Over | 30+ years of consistent franchise operations in high-traffic Charlotte, NC markets |
| Annual Income Potential | Successful Chick-fil-A multi-unit operators in major metros typically earn reliable six-figure annual income |
| Other Income Streams | Possible advisory/coaching fees; passive income from reinvestments; F&B consulting roles |
| Financial Impact of Divorce | Significant — asset division, legal fees, and the documented $118,000 affair expenditure reduced overall net worth |
| Lysa’s Financial Independence | Lysa did not require alimony — her income comes from book royalties, speaking fees, and ministry compensation |
| Financial Outlook | Ongoing franchise income means Art is financially viable; net worth expected to grow gradually if operations remain stable |
How Much Is Art TerKeurst Worth in 2024–2025?
Here’s the part most people actually came here for. So let’s cut right to it. As of 2026, Art TerKeurst’s net worth is estimated at $3 million to $5 million. That’s not celebrity money. But it’s not small change either. Three to five million dollars was built quietly, over thirty years, through hard work and smart operations. Honestly? That’s more impressive than a lot of overnight success stories we hear about.
His isn’t celebrity wealth, it’s earned, compounded, and quietly impressive. High-traffic Chick-fil-A locations generate over $8 million in annual revenue. Operators typically earn around 50% of pre-tax profits after fees. So do the math on that. Even after expenses, that’s serious money coming in year after year. Art didn’t need a book deal or a TV show. He just needed two locations and thirty years of showing up.
Where Does His Money Come From?
Art’s primary earnings come from day-to-day Chick-fil-A franchise operations. Both Charlotte locations serve high-traffic suburban markets with strong brand loyalty. A disciplined operator managing two locations could realistically generate $300,000–$500,000+ annually in combined profit share, depending on performance metrics.
Think about that for a second. A man nobody outside the Christian author world had heard of, pulling in potentially half a million dollars a year from two chicken sandwich restaurants. That’s the power of picking the right business and sticking with it. Art TerKeurst’s financial growth did not come from media exposure, but from scale and consistency. He didn’t go viral. He just stayed consistent. There’s a lesson in there for all of us.
Did Art TerKeurst Get Alimony After the Divorce?
This part of the story gets a little awkward. Short answer? No. In his February response to Lysa’s petition for divorce, Art sought both post-separation support and alimony. He claimed to be a “faithful and dutiful spouse.” Lysa replied that both post-separation support and alimony ought to be denied because Art admitted to engaging in “illicit sexual behavior.” North Carolina law bars alimony and likewise post-separation support when one spouse engages in illicit sexual behavior.
So he asked for alimony. Lysa said no. The law agreed with Lysa. That’s the clean version of a very messy legal situation. The divorce settlement likely still involved significant asset division, which would have reshaped his finances. But his Chick-fil-A income gives him a solid foundation to rebuild from.
What Does Art TerKeurst Do for a Living?
Career & Chick-fil-A Franchise Operations
| Profession | Chick-fil-A Franchise Owner & Operator (multi-unit) |
| Entered Chick-fil-A System | 1991 — one of the most competitive franchise systems in the USA (accepts less than 1% of applicants) |
| First Location Opened | December 1991 — Chick-fil-A Waverly FSR, Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Second Location | Chick-fil-A Arboretum FSR, Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Operator Roles | Owner and Operator at both Waverly FSR and Arboretum FSR locations |
| Years in Operation | 30+ years (1991 – present, as of 2026) |
| Franchise Type | Full-Service Restaurant (FSR) — brick-and-mortar Chick-fil-A units |
| Operator Consultant | Previously served as operator consultant to Georgia State University (GSU) and Grady Hospital |
| Other Business Roles | Operator at Clementine Events & Catering; Consultant for Food & Beverage design and operations |
| Advisory Work | Advises and coaches small business owners ($250K – $25M range) on business valuation, marketing, and growth |
| Key Responsibilities | Overseeing daily operations, managing staff, maintaining Chick-fil-A quality and customer service standards |
| Business Philosophy | Values-driven leadership aligned with Chick-fil-A’s Christian corporate culture; emphasis on consistency and community service |
| Chick-fil-A Startup Cost Range | Approx. $582,360 – $2,025,400 (industry benchmark for operators) |
| Franchise Revenue Potential | Average Chick-fil-A operator in major metros can earn strong six-figure annual income; successful units generate $2M+ in revenue |
Art TerKeurst’s Career Timeline — From Early Days to Now
After graduating from Winthrop University, Art didn’t sit around waiting for an opportunity. He went looking for it. By the early 1990s, Art had moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, and in December 1991, he laid the foundation of his business career. That’s over three decades in the same city, with the same brand, building the same reputation. That kind of staying power is rare.
He joined the Chick-fil-A franchise operator network in 1991, a remarkable achievement considering the brand accepts only roughly 0.4% of all applicants. Let that sink in. Getting accepted by Chick-fil-A is statistically harder than getting into most elite universities. Art made the cut. That says something real about who he was as a businessman in the early nineties.
Art TerKeurst and Chick-fil-A — What’s the Real Connection?
Art doesn’t just own a Chick-fil-A. He runs it. There’s a difference. Running a Chick-fil-A isn’t a passive investment. It requires rigorous daily management, long-term strategic planning, and a genuine connection with both customers and staff. Art built his reputation in the Charlotte community through those restaurants. He owns multiple locations. He operates Waverly FSR and has expanded to Arboretum FSR. Two locations. Thirty-plus years. Thousands of chicken sandwiches. That’s his story.
Chick-fil-A’s faith-based corporate culture naturally attracts loyal, repeat customers. For Art, that alignment between personal faith and professional culture probably made his job a lot easier. He wasn’t just selling food. He was operating inside a company that shared his values. That match matters more than people think.
Is Art TerKeurst a Pastor? His Role in Ministry
No, Art was never a pastor in the formal sense. He was the quiet partner behind Lysa’s massive ministry platform. He helped support Proverbs 31 Ministries behind the scenes while running his business. Think of it like this: Lysa was on stage, and Art was the person making sure the lights stayed on at home. That role ended completely when the marriage ended.
Art TerKeurst Books — Did He Write Any?
Art never wrote a book of his own. That’s Lysa’s territory. She’s the New York Times bestselling author. He’s the franchise operator. Different lanes, different gifts. People sometimes search for his books because they confuse his public presence with hers. The books you’re thinking of — Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, Uninvited, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way — those are all Lysa’s work, not his.
Art TerKeurst and Lysa TerKeurst — The Full Story
| Ex-Wife | Lysa TerKeurst — bestselling Christian author, speaker, and founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries |
| How They Met | At a Bible study group |
| First Marriage | 1993 — married Lysa TerKeurst |
| First Divorce Filed | 2023 — finalized by the court; the court sided with Lysa on key legal disputes |
| Reconciliation & Remarriage | 2018 — Art and Lysa reconciled and remarried in a small ceremony in Waxhaw, North Carolina |
| Second Divorce Filed | December 2021 — Lysa filed again; publicly announced separation in early 2022 |
| Divorce Finalized | Disagreement over a post-nuptial agreement; Art argued it was void after 2018 remarriage; Lysa maintained its validity; the court ruled in Lysa’s favor |
| Reason for Final Divorce | Alleged affair with a woman met on a dating site; Lysa claimed approx. $118,000 was spent on the relationship (including a pre-engagement ring and relocation costs from Atlanta to Charlotte) |
| Legal Disputes | Disagreement over a post-nuptial agreement; Art argued it was void after 2018 remarriage; Lysa maintained its validity; court ruled in Lysa’s favor |
| Lysa’s Current Status | Lysa TerKeurst married Chaz Adams in January 2024 |
| Art’s Current Relationship | Presumed single as of 2026; no new relationship publicly disclosed |
| Biological Children | Three daughters — Hope, Ashley, and Brooke |
| Adopted Children | Two sons — Mark and Jackson (adopted from a South African orphanage) |
| Children’s Careers | Hope: fashion & lifestyle blogger · Ashley: blogger and mother · Brooke: makeup artist · Mark (T. Markus): musician · Jackson: private life |
| Grandchildren | Several grandchildren (exact number not publicly confirmed) |
Lysa and Art TerKeurst — How They Met and Got Married
Their love story started in a Bible study. Seriously. Art met Lysa during a Bible study in the early 1990s. Their shared values and mutual faith laid the groundwork for their marriage in 1993. That’s a pretty sweet origin story. Two faith-driven young people finding each other, building a life together. For a while, it worked beautifully. They built a family. They built careers. They built a ministry platform that reached millions of people.
Art TerKeurst and Lysa as a Couple — The Early Years
The early years looked picture-perfect from the outside. Art ran his restaurant. Lysa grew her writing and speaking ministry. Together, they were a faith community power couple. Over nearly 30 years, they raised five children — three biological daughters named Hope, Ashley, and Brooke, and two adopted sons, Mark and Jackson, who joined the family from a South African orphanage. Five kids. A thriving business. A ministry touching millions. From the outside, their life looked like a dream.
Art TerKeurst’s Children — How Many Kids Do They Have?
Art and Lysa have five children together. Each child has since taken their own unique path. Hope TerKeurst Houser has grown a strong online presence as a fashion and lifestyle blogger. Ashley TerKeurst Hodges is also active in content creation and is a mother. Brooke has established herself in the beauty industry as a makeup artist. Meanwhile, Mark, also known as T. Markus, pursued a music career, and Jackson is charting his own course as a young adult. Through everything their parents went through, all five kids kept moving forward. That says a lot about how they were raised, despite everything that happened behind closed doors.
The Art TerKeurst Affair — What Really Happened
Who Did Art TerKeurst Have an Affair With?
Here’s the part nobody wants to talk about at church, but everybody Googles at home. The filing includes text messages between Art TerKeurst and “Mistress X.” He allegedly met the woman on the website SugarDaddy.com and spent at least $118,000 of the TerKeursts’ money on the relationship. The woman’s full name was never publicly released. She’s referred to in court documents only as “Mistress X.”
Art TerKeurst’s Affair Partner — What We Know
Expenses included paying for the mistress to move from Atlanta to Charlotte, North Carolina, and buying her a “pre-engagement left-hand ring.”So this was not a brief mistake. This was a sustained, financially invested relationship. He moved her to his city. He bought her a ring. That’s not a stumble. That’s a choice made over and over again.
The Other Woman — Art TerKeurst’s Infidelity Explained
In 2017, TerKeurst revealed she would be pursuing a divorce from her husband due to his infidelity and struggles with addiction. At the time, she wrote he had “been repeatedly unfaithful to me with a woman he met online” and was abusing substances. So the affair wasn’t even the first time. Lysa knew about infidelity as far back as 2017. She tried to save the marriage. They went to counseling. They worked hard at it.
What Did Art TerKeurst Do to Lysa? The Full Timeline
The couple renewed their vows just over a year later after working to restore their marriage. In her latest divorce announcement, TerKeurst said her husband had “broken” those renewed vows. He promised to start over. He renewed his vows. And then he went back to the same patterns. That’s what finally broke Lysa. Not just the affair. The broken promise after she’d already forgiven him once.
Art TerKeurst and Chaz Adams — The Ashley Connection
Who Is Chaz Adams?
Chaz Adams is Lysa’s new husband, not Art’s partner. In January 2024, she married Chaz Adams. People sometimes confuse the names in searches. Chaz is completely unrelated to Art’s personal life. He entered Lysa’s life well after the divorce was final. In January of 2023, Lysa met Chaz, and by January 2024, they married. Lysa moved forward. She found love again. Art, as far as the public knows, stayed single and private.
Lysa and Art TerKeurst Divorce — Every Details
Why Did Lysa and Art TerKeurst Divorce?
The reasons are documented in court filings. Infidelity. Addiction. Broken promises. Lysa TerKeurst filed for divorce in December 2021 and publicly announced her decision in January, revealing her husband of nearly three decades had engaged in “chosen patterns of behavior that dishonor God and the biblical covenant of marriage.“Those are her words. Chosen patterns. Not one mistake. A repeated pattern.
Are Lysa and Art TerKeurst Still Married?
No. Absolutely not. The American legal system sided with Lysa, finalizing their divorce in 2023. The divorce was filed in December 2021, announced publicly in January 2022, and finalized in 2023. They are no longer married in any sense of the word.
What Happened to Lysa and Art TerKeurst — The Complete Breakdown
The marriage ended because Art broke his renewed vows after the couple had already separated once in 2017. TerKeurst had originally filed for divorce in 2017, 18 months after learning of her husband’s infidelity and substance abuse issues. The couple later sought to restore their marriage, renewing their vows in 2018. However, three years later, TerKeurst announced that her husband had continued to be unfaithful and that she now needed to “accept reality.” Twenty-nine years. Five kids. Two divorce filings. One very painful ending.
Art TerKeurst Statement — In His Own Words
Art TerKeurst Statement 2022 — What Did He Say Publicly?
Art never gave a major public statement or media interview about the divorce. That’s consistent with who he is. He stays private. Art responded in February through court filings, seeking alimony, equitable division of property, and damages. His “statement” came through legal documents, not press releases. He admitted to the affair but claimed he had been faithful since signing the post-nuptial agreement in 2016.
Art TerKeurst Reddit — What People Are Saying Online
Reddit has a lot to say about Art. Most of it is not kind. Communities that follow Christian authors and ministries discussed the affair extensively. People expressed disappointment, anger, and sympathy for Lysa. Some threads debated whether Art deserved a chance at redemption. Others focused on the $118,000 affair spending as evidence of how deep the betrayal ran. Art himself has never responded to any of it publicly.
Art TerKeurst’s New Wife — Did He Remarry?
Is Art TerKeurst Remarried?
As far as publicly available information shows, Art has not remarried. He appears to be single and focused on the next chapter of his life. While Lysa moved on and married Chaz Adams in January 2024, Art has stayed quiet on his personal life. No verified reports of a new wife or public girlfriend exist as of 2025.
Who Is Art TerKeurst’s New Girlfriend?
No confirmed girlfriend. No verified new relationship. Art keeps his personal life completely off social media. He doesn’t have an active public Instagram presence in the way Lysa does. If he is dating someone, the public simply doesn’t know about it yet.
Where Is Art TerKeurst Now? Life in 2024–2025
| Current Location | Waxhaw, North Carolina, USA |
| Current Occupation | Active Chick-fil-A franchise operator (Waverly FSR, Charlotte, NC) |
| Public Profile | Very low — deliberately avoids media and social media since the divorce |
| Faith & Values | Christian faith; raised in a Christian household; Chick-fil-A’s values-driven culture aligns with his personal beliefs |
| Personal Focus (2023–2026) | Reflection, personal recovery, and rebuilding; primarily focused on business operations and private life |
| Community Involvement | Community-oriented through Chick-fil-A franchise service in the Charlotte, NC metro area |
| Notable Quote Context | Art’s story is described as not fitting “neatly into a hero or villain box” — a complex figure defined by both entrepreneurial success and personal failures |
What Is Art TerKeurst Doing Now?
Art TerKeurst continues to focus on his business and his family. His Chick-fil-A franchise continues to perform well, thanks to his long-term vision and hands-on leadership. He gets up in the morning, runs his restaurants, spends time with his kids and grandkids, and lives a private life in Waxhaw, North Carolina.
Art TerKeurst 2024 and 2025 — Any New Developments?
Art has stayed out of the headlines since the divorce finalized. No new book. No podcast. No big public announcement. His lifestyle appears deliberately modest. No public social media presence. No visible luxury spending. His profile suggests a business-first mentality, reinvesting rather than displaying wealth. He’s building, not broadcasting. There’s something almost refreshing about that in an age where everyone has a personal brand.
Art TerKeurst as an Ex-Husband — How People See Him
Art TerKeurst Ex-Husband — Lysa’s Side of the Story
Lysa has been public, careful, and gracious in how she discusses her past marriage. She’s never used Art’s name to tear him down in her books or speaking engagements. Her book Forgiving What You Can’t Forget deals directly with the pain of his betrayal without being vindictive. She wrote, “I have fought really hard to not just save my marriage, but to survive the devastation of what consistent deception of one spouse does to the other.” Those words say everything without saying too much.
Children of Art TerKeurst — How Are the Kids Doing?
All five kids are adults now. They’ve built their own careers and lives. Art and Lysa’s family expanded with several grandchildren, cementing his role as a grandfather — a title he embraces with pride and quiet joy. Art is still their dad. Whatever happened in the marriage doesn’t erase that. And from what we can see publicly, he remains present in his children’s lives.
Lysa TerKeurst’s Side — What She Said About ArtWhat Did Lysa TerKeurst Write About Art’s Infidelity?
Lysa wrote about her pain in her books, particularly in Forgiving What You Can’t Forget. She didn’t write attack pieces. She wrote about her own healing. She wrote about what it feels like to love someone who keeps choosing to hurt you. And she wrote about how faith pulled her through when nothing else could. Her writing never made Art a villain by name. But readers who knew their story could read between every line.
People Also Ask — Top Questions Answered Fast
Who is Art TerKeurst? He’s an American entrepreneur and Chick-fil-A franchise operator in Charlotte, NC. He’s also the ex-husband of bestselling Christian author Lysa TerKeurst.
What does Art TerKeurst do for a living? He runs two Chick-fil-A locations in Charlotte, North Carolina — Waverly FSR and Arboretum FSR. That’s been his career since 1991.
Is Art TerKeurst remarried? No confirmed remarriage as of 2025. He appears to be single and private.
Where is Art TerKeurst now? He lives in Waxhaw, North Carolina, and continues to operate his franchise restaurants.
Who did Art TerKeurst have an affair with? Court documents refer to her only as “Mistress X.” He allegedly met her on SugarDaddy.com and spent over $118,000 on the relationship.
Did Art TerKeurst get alimony? No. North Carolina law bars alimony when the requesting spouse engaged in sexual infidelity, which Art admitted to.
What is Art TerKeurst’s net worth? Estimated between $3 million and $5 million, primarily from Chick-fil-A franchise income.
Are Lysa and Art TerKeurst still married? No. Their divorce was finalized in 2023.
Final Thoughts — Art TerKeurst Today and What We Can Learn
Art TerKeurst is not a simple story. He’s not the villain. He’s not the hero. He’s a human being who built real wealth through real work, made devastating choices that destroyed a 29-year marriage, and now lives quietly trying to put his life back together. The Chick-fil-A restaurants still run. The kids still love him. The grandkids still call him grandpa.
His story teaches us something important. Money and success don’t automatically mean a happy personal life. A man can run a business with exceptional discipline and still completely fall apart in his marriage. Those are two different skill sets. Art mastered one. He failed at the other. And like a lot of people across America, he’s now living in the aftermath of those failures, day by day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Art TerKeurst get remarried after the divorce?
No public or verified record shows that Art TerKeurst has remarried since his divorce from Lysa was finalized in 2023. He keeps his personal life extremely private, and no credible reporting has confirmed a new spouse.
How did Art TerKeurst get so wealthy without being famous?
Art built his wealth quietly over three decades as a Chick-fil-A franchise operator. He manages two high-traffic locations in Charlotte, North Carolina. Consistent franchise income, smart reinvestment, and disciplined operations built his estimated $3–5 million net worth without any media spotlight.
What happened to Art TerKeurst’s alimony request?
Art filed for alimony in February 2022 after Lysa filed for divorce. The request was denied because North Carolina law prohibits alimony when the requesting spouse admits to sexual infidelity, which Art did in his own legal filings.
Is Art TerKeurst still running his Chick-fil-A restaurants?
Yes. As of 2025, Art continues to operate his Chick-fil-A locations in Charlotte. His franchise career has continued despite the personal turmoil of the divorce.
Did Lysa TerKeurst write about Art’s affair in her books?
Lysa wrote about her personal pain and healing process in books like Forgiving What You Can’t Forget. While she never named Art directly as the subject, the books clearly draw from her experience of his infidelity and her journey toward forgiveness and healing.
Sources: Christian Post, MinistryWatch, Hatch Utah, Brandon’s Restaurant, Legit.ng, Church Leaders, and publicly available court documents cited in published news reports.
