Jack Leo Iker (August 31, 1949 – October 5, 2024) was an American Anglican bishop. From 1995 to 2019, he was the third bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. The diocese comprises 56 congregations and its headquarters are in Fort Worth, Texas. The diocese is divided in six deaneries, each headed by a dean, whic ...

. In this capacity, he was a leading figure in the

Anglican realignment The Anglican realignment is a movement among some Anglicans to align themselves under new or alternative oversight within or outside the Anglican Communion. This movement is primarily active in parts of the Episcopal Church (United States), Episco ...

, overseeing the departure of the Diocese of Fort Worth from the Episcopal Church in 2008 and co-founding the

Anglican Church in North America The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) is a Christian denomination in the Anglican tradition in the United States and Canada. It also includes ten congregations in Mexico, two mission churches in Guatemala, and a missionary diocese in Cuba. ...

. He was also a leading figure in American

Anglo-Catholicism Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

and an opponent of women's ordination to the priesthood.

Biography

Iker was a native of

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

. He studied at the

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati, informally Cincy) is a public university, public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1819 and had an enrollment of over 53,000 students in 2024, making it the ...

and the

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating ...

. Prior to his election as bishop, he was the Rector of the Church of the Redeemer, the largest Episcopal parish in Sarasota, Florida. He served on the boards of Forward in Faith North America and the

American Anglican Council The American Anglican Council began as an organization of theologically conservative Anglicans from both the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and The Episcopal Church in the United States. According to its membership brochure, it was fou ...

. Like many

Anglo-Catholic Anglo-Catholicism comprises beliefs and practices that emphasise the Catholicism, Catholic heritage (especially pre-English Reformation, Reformation roots) and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. Anglo-Ca ...

clergy, he was a member of the

Society of the Holy Cross The Society of the Holy Cross (SSC; ) is an international Anglo-Catholicism, Anglo-Catholic society of male priests with members in the Anglican Communion and the Continuing Anglican movement, who live under a common rule of life that informs t ...

. Iker was the third bishop of the

, consecrated as co-adjutor in 1993 and as incumbent in 1995. He was one of the most theologically conservative bishops during his tenure and would be one of the last Episcopal bishops opposed to women's ordination. In 2008, most of the clergy and parishes in the diocese left the Episcopal Church and affiliated with the

. Iker left the Episcopal Church with them, becoming the first bishop of the new diocese. He was one of the founding bishops of the Anglican Church in North America in 2009. Although Iker's diocese was no longer affiliated with the Episcopal Church, they still wanted to keep owning church properties and the name "The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth". In response, the Episcopal Church sued Iker and his diocese three different times. After twelve years of legal battles, the

Texas Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Texas (SCOTX) is the court of last resort for civil matters (including juvenile delinquency cases, which are categorized as civil under the Texas Family Code) in the U.S. state of Texas. A different court, the Texas Court o ...

ruled in favor of Iker. Although the Episcopal Church attempted to appeal the case to the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...

, the court declined to hear the case. In 2017, Iker declared his diocese was in impaired communion with ACNA dioceses which ordain women: After being diagnosed with cancer Iker retired in December 2019, and was succeeded by Ryan S. Reed, SSC. Iker died on October 5, 2024, at the age of 75.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iker, Jack 1949 births 2024 deaths 20th-century Anglican bishops in the United States 21st-century Anglican bishops in the United States Anglo-Catholic bishops American Anglo-Catholics Bishops of the Anglican Church in North America Religious leaders from Cincinnati University of Cincinnati alumni General Theological Seminary alumni Episcopal bishops of Fort Worth Anglican realignment people

Biography

See also

References