Bishop Jack Leo Iker, who led the majority of parishes and people in his diocese into what became the Anglican Church of North America, died October 5 at 75. Iker had beat back lymphoma five years ago, but the cancer returned and metastasized this summer, and he entered hospice care.
Iker, a native of Cincinnati, served as rector of Church of the Redeemer in Sarasota, Florida, before his election as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth.
Iker was consecrated bishop coadjutor in 1993 and became the diocese’s third bishop in January 1995. Iker was beloved among conservatives, and some called him “the lion of Fort Worth.” Among those who remained loyal to the Episcopal Church, he was often depicted in a villainous light, and became the subject of lawsuits involving church property.
After the majority left the Episcopal Church in 2008, what remained of the Diocese of Fort Worth first renamed itself the Episcopal Church in North Texas and later became the North Region of the Diocese of Texas.
“I am the most sued Anglican bishop in all of North America,” Iker told journalist Mary Ann Mueller in 2010.
The Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of Iker’s diocese in December 2019. The case involved $100 million in church properties. Five churches loyal to the Episcopal Church appealed to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case.
“Throughout that whole period of what looked at the time, in 2018 and 2019, to be a terminal battle of cancer, he never stopped being a leader and a guide,” the Rev. Canon Joel Hampton told Marissa Greene of the Fort Worth Report. “For a lot of us, he was the embodiment of what it means to be courageous and steadfast.”
Iker formed a close friendship with Bishop Fanuel Magangani of Northern Malawi, who mourned for him in a Facebook post.
“I first met Bishop Iker in July 1996 when he visited the Diocese of Northern Malawi alongside 13 dedicated members. That time I was a youth member aspiring to become a priest. That visit marked the dawn of a transformative partnership between our Diocese and the Diocese of Fort Worth. It was not merely a connection across vast distances; it was the beginning of a journey that would strengthen our ministry and enhance our collective mission,” Bishop Magangani wrote.
“His unwavering dedication to Christ and his fellow believers exemplified true leadership and servanthood. As we mourn the loss of an incredible leader, let us remember the incredible gift of community he bestowed upon us. We are forever grateful for the spiritual and pastoral foundations he laid. Bishop Iker will remain in our hearts, a guiding light leading us to continue the work he so passionately championed.”
Douglas LeBlanc is the Associate Editor for Book Reviews and writes about Christianity and culture. He and his wife, Monica, attend St. John’s Parish Church on Johns Island, South Carolina.
