Origins of the Daily Promise

The origins of the Daily Promise are chronicled in a February 13, 1993 newspaper article by Ron Durham.  Originally published in the San Angelo Standard-Times, this article has been reprinted below with permission from the newspaper.

Bookstore owner organizes The 31

Who are "The 31"?

The short answer is that they are the sponsors of the "Daily Promise," the regular Standard-Times inspirational feature that made the current issue of Guideposts magazine.

Guideposts applauded Ernestine Scott, a San Angelo bookstore owner, for her persistence in finding "The 31" financial backers and getting the feature published.  Scott and the feature also have been written up in the Bookstore Journal, a Christian trade book publication.

"But who are they, really?" my editor asked.  With all this publicity, it's time to recognize "The 31" by name.

Scott believes their paid sponsorship of the daily message is the result of nothing less than a series of miracles.

It all started with her brain surgery.

Then her husband died.

The trauma hurled Scott into the arms of a sympathetic prayer group, but she was sure she could never pray like they did.  Miraculously, she says, she did learn.

The next miracle, she says, was that she overcame her feeling that religious books were dull, and began to read them.

Then she bought the bookstore.

Stay with me here -- we're still on the trail of "The 31."

Serving people who come into her business, New Life Book Store, made Scott want to share more widely her discovery that Christianity works, she says.  She approached Standard-Times Editor Dennis Ellsworth about running a daily Bible verse and thought for the day, like the one her pastor, the late Rev. Rodney Gibson Jr., wrote for many years.

Although she says that Ellsworth was open to listening to her proposal, the paper couldn't meet her request, he said.  "Other religions would want equal time."  A paid advertisement would be the only way to do what she had in mind.

So Scott decided to attempt the task herself.  She would select a passage from a modern translation and add a reflection on the scripture verse from the Life Application Bible Notes.

The next miracle was that she was able to get up 5 a.m. daily to get the ad together, she said.

But how to pay for it?  She decided to seek out 31 people who would help pay for the space in the paper -- enough to cover the cost for the ad every day of even the longest months, and continue it throughout the year.  It would be a significant commitment, even at a discounted rate.

"At first I had in mind to talk only to business people and to mention their business," she said.  "But when I mentioned the idea to people in the store, several said they'd like to help with something like that, even though they didn't own a business."

Many of the business people she talked to not only said yes but thanked her for asking, she said.

The feature began March 1, 1990, appearing every day since on the weather page -- usually page 4A -- of the newspaper.

Scott gets the sponsoring group together once a year at a Christmas party.  They've enjoyed getting to know each other, identifying other people who share the feeling that there's so much need for Scripture in today's world that they're willing to put their money where the need is.

So, with one of the most widely circulated magazines in the world congratulating Scott on her persistence in getting the Daily Promise published, it's high time to ask, "Who are 'The 31'?"

There's only one problem.  None of the supporters want to use an inspirational piece, widely read though it is, to boost themselves or their business.

The 31 remain anonymous.