Welcome to Lindsey Wilson University
Lindsey Wilson UniversityJohn B. Begley Chapel

John B. Begley Chapel

The building

A masterpiece by E. Fay Jones

The Begley Chapel was designed by E. Fay Jones — a disciple of the legendary Frank Lloyd Wright and widely regarded as one of the world's leading chapel architects. His signature style blends natural light, organic form, and deep spiritual feeling.

Completed in 1997, the chapel's vertical cylinders were inspired by Southcentral Kentucky's rural landscape. Gothic, Romanesque, and Byzantine themes run throughout — reflecting the ancient foundations beneath a 20th-century building.

Circles and arcs appear everywhere in the design, symbolizing unity, perfection, and central elements of Christian theology. The crowns atop each cylinder are highly symbolic sculptures — visible from across campus.

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The Begley Chapel offers a peaceful and welcoming space where students, faculty, staff, and friends can let down their walls, release their burdens and surrender control of their lives to a God who will never abandon, abuse or judge them unfairly, but who loves them unconditionally and forever.

  • Designed by E. Fay Jones, disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright
  • Ground Breaking: November 16, 1996
  • Primary Contractor: James N. Gray Co., Glasgow and Lexington, Ky.
  • Circles and arcs symbolizing unity and perfection
  • Made possible by a $2 million anonymous donation
Inside the chapel

Architecture with meaning in every detail

inside-chapel
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The vertical cylinders

The chapel's defining shapes were inspired by the rural silos and forms of Southcentral Kentucky. They rise as both a local reference and a spiritual symbol — reaching upward toward something greater.

Circles and arcs

Found throughout the building, grounds, and lighting design — circles symbolize unity, wholeness, and theological principles central to the Christian faith that grounds LWU's mission.

The crowns

Each cylinder is topped by a handcrafted sculptural crown — highly symbolic forms that give the chapel its unmistakable silhouette on the LWU skyline.

Historical styles

Gothic arches, Romanesque proportion, and Byzantine detail weave through the chapel — grounding a modern building in 2,000 years of sacred architecture.