I have been a regular reader of Religion Watch since its earliest days. In fact, I found it so useful for helping me keep up with major religious events and trends, as well as research on religion, that many years ago I wrote a blurb to be used in soliciting subscribers. Even so, Religion Watch has barely broken even, and I have always admired Richard Cimino for his dedication. He founded Religion Watch on his own without any financial backing and has managed to keep it alive for over 30 years. For the past several years, the Religious Newswriters Association and the University of Missouri School of Journalism have sponsored Religion Watch, but a recent wave of budget-cutting at the university brought that partnership to an end and threatened to end Religion Watch as well.
When I learned of this sad situation, I consulted with my colleagues at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, and we decided it was time to set things right. Beginning with this issue, Richard Cimino is the editor of the Baylor ISR Religion Watch. The commitment to unbiased coverage continues. So does the global perspective on religion. The major change is that now all subscriptions are free. If you have received this issue, you will continue to do so unless you “unsubscribe.” There is a “new subscriber” function included in all issues for anyone who is not already receiving Religion Watch.
