"...Help me in life and death, O God..."
1978. Israeli Prime Minister Menahem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat agreed to treaty terms at meeting at Camp David. Diplomatic relations were established with China. From Konica came the point-and-shoot camera. PBS went to satellite for delivery, abandoning telephone lines. The first "test tube baby," Louise Brown, was born in Britain. Cult members committed mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana. Lutheran Book of Worship, the book developed by the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship, was published. AELC issues "Call to Union." Lutherans for Life was organized and urged presidents of all US Lutheran church bodies to urge their members to observe October 1, 1978, as Respect Life Sunday. The Hubbard Street Dance Company gave its first public performance at noon before a small audience in the theater of the Chicago Public Library (now the Chicago Cultural Center).
The Bethlehem school bus was sold to Tabor Lutheran for $1000. School enrollment stood at 37. A teacher aide was to be employed for $200. per month until the new teacher is accustomed to the load. The principal's salary was increased to $750. a month on a ten month basis. Hiring of a new full-time teacher for $700. per month was approved. Member tuition was raised to $300. from $200. per month. Non-member tuition was raised from $40. to $500. per month. Heat was installed in the choir loft. The schedule of services for Lent was Wednesday services at 7:30 pm, German service on Maundy Thursday and communion on Easter Sunday.
1979. The Department of Education was created. Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew Shah of Iran and set up an Iranian "republic." Radical Iranian students seized American diplomats and embassy officials in Tehran. In Japan, the first cellular phone network was established. Computerized laser printing helped Chinese printers. Margaret Thatcher became the first woman prime minister in Great Britain. The Association of Black Lutherans was formed. State Street became a bus mall. The Pope visited Chicago. CTA bought 20 articulated buses. Two farmers markets, the first in Chicago since the 19th Century, opened in Lincoln Square and the Back o' the Yards. At Bethlehem, upon recommendation of Pastor Frick, the voters approved that ten lay members from Bethlehem participate in a Parish Leadership Seminar for instructions on stewardship programs. All Lenten offerings were kept for home purposes. The organist salary was raised approximately 60%.
1980. Sony Walkman tape player started a fad. Public international electronic fax service, Intelpost, began. Atlanta got the first fiber optics system. CNN 24-hour news channel begins. World Health Organizations announced eradication of smallpox. Solidarity trade union formed after shipyard strike at Gdansk, Poland. The first Taste of Chicago took place on Michigan Avenue, with a turnout of about 200,000. John Denver opened Poplar Creek Music Theater in Hoffman Estates. The Bethlehem School celebrated its Centennial. Three elders were scheduled for each worship service. Another leadership seminar was held for all elected officers of Bethlehem.
1981. Ronald Reagan became President. The hostages in Iran were released. 450,000 transistors fit on a silicon chip 1/4-inch square. Hologram technology improved, now in video games. The IBM PC was marketed. The laptop computer was introduced. The first mouse pointing device was made. President Reagan fired most of the nation's air traffic controllers for striking illegally and ordered their union, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Association, decertified. Professional baseball players went on strike. Anwar Sadat was assassinated in Cairo. AIDS was diagnosed for the first time. Bethlehem School was closed. Communion at the early service on the fourth Sunday of the month was approved (it had previously been served only at the late service on that Sunday).
1982. From Japan came a camera with electronic picture storage, no film. A Kodak camera used film on a disc cassette. Israel invaded Lebanon. Falklands War put Britain against Argentina. "Rap" music made its first public appearances. The ALC, LCA, AELC conventions met simultaneously, decided on merger, appointed the Commission for a New Lutheran Church, formed with 70 representatives from the ALC, LCA and AELC. The BEM (Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry) document adopted by the Faith and Order Commission, began to be studied in Christian churches all over the world. Lutheran Worship was published by Concordia Publishing House as an alternate to Lutheran Book of Worship. Campus Ministry began at Bethlehem.
1983. Terrorists killed U. S. troops in Lebanon. U. S. troops invaded Granada to restore order and democracy. Cellular phone network started in U.S. Computer chip held 288,000 bits of memory. Time named the computer as "Man of the Year." ZIP + 4, expanded 9-digit ZIP code was introduced. AT&T was forced to break up into seven "Baby Bells." The compact disk was introduced with the first digital recordings of music. Drought in Ethiopia brought famine to millions. Bethlehem considered adding a vicar.
1984. Portable compact disc players are marketed. National Geographic put a hologram on its cover. The Japanese introduced high quality facsmile. Camera and tape deck combined in the camcorder. The Apple Macintosh and IBM PC AT made their debuts, as did the 32-bit microprocessor and the one megabyte memory chip. Toxic gas leak in Bhopal, India, killed 2,500 people. Indira Gandhi was assassinated by bodyguards. Will Herzfeld (1939-) became the first African-American bishop of an American Lutheran church body, the AELC. CTA opened the O'Hare rail line. Evanston's first retail liquor store opened. Northwestern-Evanston Research Park was launched. Bethlehem got a vicar.
Questions, comments, etc. are welcome.
Send them to Marilyn
Gardner at MFGardner@aol.com