About MARCC

MARCC is…

A coalition of Judicatories.
By JUDICATORIES, we mean the local, decision-making bodies of national denominations.

Each of these Judicatories is a valid, autonomous body. MARCC is a Coalition, a way of enabling these 17 Jewish, Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Muslim, and Protestant Judicatories to work together on a few, agreed-upon, local social Concerns to make life better for people in metropolitan Cincinnati.

In the language of sacred texts, the religious community can work on social problems in three ways:

• Prophetic (holding up the absolute standards of God or spiritual well being),
• Priestly (caring for each individual child),
• Sovereignty (or politically, choosing the best possible solution).

MARCC has been a self-conscious decision by Cincinnati Judicatories to work together in a sovereign or political style.

Cincinnati Judicatories have learned over the years that to be effective together, Judicatories need to work:

• on a few concerns,
• that are capable of local resolution,
• where there is a moral, religious concern, and
• where we can do our own research & fact-finding.
• We make major decisions by consensus of the member Judicatories. (If any one Judicatory says “No,” the coalition of Judicatories does not work on it together.)
• We work on the concerns that are most important, urgent, and do able by the religious community.
• We try to work with decision makers when we can, and give them the credit.
• We try to leave the civic discourse at least a little better than we found it.

Through MARCC, Judicatories make decisions:

• every year, at Judicatories’ Shared Planning Conference, about which 2 local social concerns to work on in the coming year,
• every month, at Delegates Council (by a consensus of Judicatories), about major involvements in these 2 Concerns, and
• every week, at Executive Board (1 representative from each Judicatory), about how, when, and with whom to work.