This article was first published in the ChurchBeat Newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox every Wednesday night.

This week, the Deseret News reported on a court ruling for religious colleges and universities that included some high-level joint efforts by evangelicals and Latter-day Saints.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision protected federal funding for religious school students, a victory for the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, which spent $1 million defending it, and for the general counsel’s office at Brigham University. Young, who wrote to a friend. Court brief in support of CCCU.

The Deseret News story said the victory was considered the linchpin of the legacy of recently retired CCCU leader Shirley Hoogstra.

There is more to the story.

The new CCCU president said he will continue the decade-long partnership with BYU and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

David Hoag, the incoming president, said he values ​​the relationships Hoogstra cultivated with top Latter-day Saint leaders and with the church’s education commissioner, Elder Clark G. Gilbert, a General Authority Seventy.

Hoag specifically pointed to the Latter-day Saint model of the Church Educational System, with its general board of education leading six institutions: BYU, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, BYU-Hawaii, Ensign College, and Seminaries & Institutes.

Hoag said that model could be a boon to evangelical colleges and universities that could similarly come together as like-minded institutions. Not only would it provide cost-effectiveness at a time when rising prices are making private school tuition more difficult for parents and students, but the CES system also makes it easier to meet the Department of Education’s thresholds for Title protections. IX for religious schools, since one The determining factor is to demonstrate that a school is controlled by a religious organization.

He indicated that he will continue the work of the CCCU with Steve Sandberg, general counsel of BYU, who from his office has been providing advice and support on legal issues.

The two CCCU presidents sat down with the Deseret News in Elder Gilbert’s office after meeting with a senior church leader and the church commissioner.

Like Hoogstra, Hoag also said Elder Gilbert has helped attract important key players to collaborations with CCCU and Latter-day Saint schools such as Yeshiva University, Catholic University and Georgetown.

Others include Notre Dame and Baylor, prompting Hoag to make a joke about Elder Gilbert’s enjoyment of college football.

“I don’t know,” Hoag said with a laugh, “if he’s trying to get playoff tickets or what he’s doing.”

My recent stories

Crucial new court ruling for Christian schools seals leader’s legacy (October 28)

President Russell M. Nelson to Dedicate Church’s 200th Temple (October 25)

As church leaders emphasize BYU’s religious mission, coaches seek to turn it into a recruiting advantage (October 24)

About the church

The first presidency announced the dates for the rededication of the Toronto Ontario Temple (March) and the dedication of the Auckland New Zealand Temple (April).

Elder Neil L. Andersen organized a press conference for the Tallahassee Florida Temple open house. “Everything in the house of the Lord speaks of the immortality of the soul,” he told reporters.

The church released the fourth and final volume of the “Saints” church history series.

The world broadcast of the church for young people celebrated the light of Jesus Christ with Elder Ulisses Soares and the general presidents of the Young Women and Young Men.

BYU researchers found a link between youth temple attendance and improved mental health.

what I’m reading

Don’t miss reading this report from the director’s forum talk “The Chosen” at BYU. It tells a great story of personal failure that led to the success of “The Chosen.”

How a BYU Professor Became a crusader for the innocent.

Andy Reid is one of the main reasons why the Kansas City Chiefs are the new Patriots and could dominate the next decade in the NFL.

The first album I bought was “Glass Houses” by Billy Joel. Here’s a story about the mansion he hated as a poor kid and then bought when he was a rich musician. He is asking for almost 50 million dollars. I would sell too if I had to pay more. $500,000 a year in property taxes.

Who else is enjoying BYU football’s run to an 8-0 record?

Behind the scenes