The seventy-fifth anniversary is sometimes called a semisesquicentennial. That is a long word to describe a long amount of time. If you are someone like me, who is less than half that age, it may be hard at times to put into perspective how much time that really is. I’ve put together a list of things that may surprise you to hear are, in fact, younger than Schweitzer Church. Many of these things seem to me like institutions in our society, so the fact that none of them existed when Schweitzer first opened its doors is a testament to how long Schweitzer has faithfully served the community of Springfield.
- Color TV
The first color broadcast aired in 1953 when Schweitzer Church was already two years old. - Microwave Ovens
Home models of the microwave didn’t hit the market until the late 1950s. You could attend church here before you could cook a frozen burrito in seconds at home! - Branson (as an entertainment destination)
The Baldknobbers Jamboree (Branson’s first live music show) started in 1959. - ZIP Codes
The United States Postal Service introduced ZIP codes in 1963. - The Super Bowl
After more than 800 Sundays at Schweitzer, the first Super Bowl Sunday took place in 1967. - Heart Transplants
Schweitzer had been changing hearts for 16 years before the first successful heart transplant in 1967. - Wheeled Luggage
Anyone traveling to visit Schweitzer Church for our 20th anniversary could have used their brand-new, wheeled luggage, which had only been invented one year prior in 1970! - Disney World
Disney World opened in Orlando in 1971, nearly two decades after Schweitzer Church. - Bass Pro Shops
In 1972, when Johnny Morris founded Bass Pro Shops, we were already 21 years old. - High Fives
Ever wonder why we greet each other with handshakes during services? Perhaps it’s because the high five wasn’t even an option for the first thirty years of our existence! The first high five took place on October 2, 1977, at Dodger Stadium between LA Dodgers players Glenn Burke and Dusty Baker.
When putting this list together, I came across one more interesting fact: Super Glue was discovered by accident in 1951, the same year Schweitzer Church was founded (very much on purpose). I guess you could say it was a good year for things that stick together!