Rothko Chapel Celebrates New Chapters with Welcome Ceremony for President Abdullah Antepli
January 22, 2026
Rothko Chapel Celebrates New Chapters in Jan 18 Welcome Ceremony with Abdullah Antepli
As a respected leader in cross-cultural and cross-religious dialogue, Imam Antepli makes introduction to Houston community as new Rothko Chapel President
The Rothko Chapel marked an important transition into a new phase of leadership and vision for our community here in Houston and beyond, by introducing and celebrating new President, Imam Abdullah Antepli with an interfaith community ceremony.
We are grateful for the presence and voices of Houston faith and civic leaders who helped cultivate a meaningful gathering rooted in reflection, connection, and shared purpose, including:
Rev. Laura Mayo, Covenant Church
Troy Porter, Board Chair, Rothko Chapel
Cantor Rollin Simmons, Congregation Emanu El
Rev. Nathaniel Katz, Christ Church Cathedral Houston
Abbot Gaelyn Godwin, Houston Zen Center
Acharya Bramdeo Mokoonlall, Arya Samaj Greater Houston
Omar Samji, Ismaili Center Houston
Council Member Julian Ramirez
Gary Tinterow, Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
DACAMERA Young Artists
Imam Abdullah Antepli brings decades of stewardship, scholarship, and advocacy across higher education and the nonprofit sector to his new role as President of the Rothko Chapel. Under Antepli's leadership, the Rothko Chapel will continue to expand its global reach as a platform for interfaith engagement and social justice rooted in spiritual inquiry. We receive the community's well wishes to guide the Chapel into its next chapter as a national and international convening space for spiritual exploration, artistic expression, and the pursuit of justice.
"As Pres
ident, my ambition for the Rothko Chapel is bold—but sincerely rooted in fidelity to its soul and to its foundational commitments. I envision a Chapel that remains fiercely contemplative while becoming even more courageously and creatively engaged. A Chapel that continues to welcome silence, while also speaking clearly into the moral crises of our time. A Chapel that deepens its artistic and spiritual legacy while expanding its global reach.”
About Abdullah Antepli
Abdullah Antepli is a globally acknowledged scholar and leader of cross-religious and cross-cultural dialogue in American higher education and non-profits. He has built multiple organizations and initiatives to facilitate religious and spiritual life across America’s college campuses, sowing seeds of understanding between religions while upholding their cultural integrity and dignity. Antepli joined the Rothko Chapel in September 2025, following prominent teaching and administrative positions at Duke University as the Sanford School of Public Policy associate professor of the practice, with a secondary appointment at the Divinity School as associate professor of the practice of interfaith relations. He previously served as Duke University’s first Muslim chaplain and director of Center for Muslim Life, and then as Duke’s chief representative for Muslim affairs. Professor Antepli is a senior fellow on Jewish-Muslim Relations at Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, where he founded and co-directs the widely recognized Muslim Leadership Initiative. The NonProfit Times recognized Imam Antepli as one of their Power & Influence Top 50 leaders of 2019, calling him one of the most prominent Muslim leaders today.
