Art TerKeurst is an American-born businessman who owns and operates the restaurant Chick-fil-A Waverly FSR. He’s also widely known as the ex-husband of the public speaker, Christian non-fiction author, and founder of the non-profit, non-denominational Christian ministry, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa TerKeurst.
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Art TerKeurst hails from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, and was born under the Pisces zodiac sign in February 1966, the son of Dudley and Sharon TerKeurst. Not much is known about Art’s childhood – he hasn’t disclosed whether he has any siblings.
TerKeurst was educated at West Morris Mendham High School, and matriculated to Winthrop University in South Carolina.
Career
Art was the owner and operator of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based fast-food restaurant, Chick-fil-A Arboretum FSR from December 1991 to August 2017. In October 2017, he began running Chick-fil-A Waverly FSR, which is also based in Charlotte.
Social Media Presence
Art is active on Instagram (@artterkeurst) with around 6,000 followers; he joined the platform in February 2015.
Personal Life
TerKeurst first met his future wife Lysa, at a Bible study session. They dated for several years and eventually exchanged vows in 1993. In January 1994, the couple welcomed their first daughter, Hope TerKeurst Houser, who is a lifestyle and fashion blogger known widely for her house projects. Hope exchanged vows with Michael Houser in February 2016. Her sister, Brooke TerKeurst, is a makeup artist and hairdresser, who’s married to Nick Isaac. Art has another daughter named Ashley TerKeurst (born in May 1995) who’s a blogger, and Ashley has a son named Ryser Sydney Hodges, from her previous union with David Hodges. Art and Lysa have two adopted sons, Jackson and the singer-songwriter, Mark – professionally known as T. Markus. Both Mark and Jack were adopted from a Liberian orphanage.
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Art and Lysa began having problems after spending nearly two decades together, and in 2017, the latter filed for divorce, citing infidelity and substance abuse. At the time, she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer, and subsequently underwent a double mastectomy. Art and Lysa worked to restore their marriage and made a unanimous decision to call off the divorce. They went on to renew their marital vows in a private wedding that was held in Waxhaw, North Carolina, in late 2018.
In December 2021, Lysa filed for a divorce, barely three years after renewing their vows. In early 2022, she took to Facebook stating that infidelity was the main reason for the dissolution of their marriage. Lysa accused Art of having an extramarital affair with a woman he’d met on a dating app. She claimed that he spent nearly $118,000 on the mysterious woman – he allegedly bought her a pre-engagement ring and even funded her relocation from Atlanta, Georgia, to Charlotte, North Carolina. Lysa explained how his behavior had dishonored the biblical marriage covenant and God, and added ‘over the past several years, I’ve fought really hard not to just save my marriage but to survive the devastation of what consistent deception of one spouse does to another…It’s brutal and heart-crushing to constantly fear the hurtful choices of someone you love.’
In February 2020, Art filed a response to the divorce petition, asking for an equitable share of property, alimony, and damages. The filing sought to revoke their previous post-nuptial agreement, which Art argued was made under duress because, at the time, he was struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts because of his alcohol problems, arguing that he was unable to get proper legal counsel before he signed the agreement. Moreover, he pointed out that the previous agreement had been invalidated when the duo renewed their marriage in 2018, insisting that he had been a dutiful and faithful spouse since the signing of the first post-nuptial agreement contrary to his ex-wife’s characterization of him – she alleged that Art had dropped out of his alcohol abuse treatment program, and had showed ‘sociopathic and narcissistic tendencies’ over the years.
In mid-2023, Art’s ex-wife took to Instagram to announce that she’d met a man named Chaz Adams in January of that year. She went on to proclaim her love for him, further revealing that Adams had popped the question and that they had exchanged vows in front of family and friends. Lysa’s children and grandchildren attended their marriage.
TerKeurst is currently living in Waxhaw, North Carolina, and is reportedly single as of early 2024.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
TerKeurst is of White ethnicity and has a pair of brown eyes and hair of the same color. He weighs around 145lbs (66kgs) and his height is 5ft10ins (1.78m).
Net Worth
Art has accumulated a good sum from his involvement with Chick-fil-A restaurants. He’s worth close to $5 million as of 2024.
Who’s Art TerKeurst Ex-Wife, Lysa TerKeurst
Lysa TerKeurst hails from Tallahassee, Florida, and was born under the Cancer zodiac sign on 21 July 1969. She was raised in a tight-knit Christian family, but her parents parted ways when she was in middle school. Despite being raised a staunch Christian, TerKeurst briefly denounced her faith after her 16-month-old sister tragically died. She’s an alumnus of the South Carolina-based Furman University.
In 2000, Lysa published her first book entitled, “Living Life on Purpose: Discovering God’s Best for Your Life.” She’s since written over a dozen books, including the #1 New York Times Bestsellers, “Forgiving What You Can’t Forget,” “Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely”, and “Unglued: Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions.” The trade news magazine “Publishers Weekly” gave the latter a starred review and commented, ‘TerKeurst’s often self-deprecating humor and ability to be vulnerable, combined with insightful Bible references, make this a book women can relate to in a hundred little ways each day.’
Art’s ex-wife is the founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries – the organization started as a small newsletter, originally published by Jennifer McHugh in 1994, and expanded in the year that followed when Lysa and the author, Marybeth Whalen joined it. One of Proverbs 31 Ministries’ main missions is to reach out to as many women as possible and share Biblical wisdom and truth.
