Banner Baptist Church is rich in Smoky Mountain History and steeped in mountain tradition. A church where mountain tradition continues to ministers to the contemporary needs of every generation. In 1892 a petition was presented to White Oaks Flat Baptist Church (Now First Baptist Church, Gatlinburg) requesting permission for 25 members to start a new church in the Banner Community of the Gatlinbur
g area. This church began as an arm of the White Oaks Flat Baptist Church, but within a short time became an autonomous church body known as Banner Baptist Church. Their first service was in the original Banner School House, located on the main road leading north out of town (now US 441 North Parkway) near where the Wingate Resort is now located. By 1909 the Church had grown to a Sunday School enrollment of 49. Land was soon donated near the school house for a new church building. The church cemetery where many of it’s early members are buried is located on Wiley Oakley Drive, on the hill just above the Gatlinburg Welcome Center and just across the road from the Park & Ride Lot. During the early days, following the Memorial Day worship service, the congregation would leave the church building and march to the cemetery to decorate graves of loved ones, friends and veterans. As they walked across the old bridge that led to the cemetery, members would cast flowers into the river honoring the soldiers who had gone to a watery grave. While time, distance and technology precludes the church from continuing such a time honored tradition, they continue to display patriotism and express gratitude for the service and sacrifice of all those who served in the armed forces. By 1950 the State of Tennessee partnered with the National Park Service to build better access to the Gatlinburg area and the Great Smoky Mountains national Park. They constructed the Current US Highway 441 North and South Parkway divided by the west Prong of the Little Pigeon River as part of the Foothills Scenic Parkway. The church was forced to relocate to it’s present location at 209 Beech Branch Road. Today Banner Baptist Church is still a small mountain church with an enormous heart and capacity for Christian service. While the congregation recognizes it’s inability to live in the past, it still seeks to honor and preserve the Biblical values and traditions of all those who sacrificed so much to leave this, and every generation a rich Godly heritage. Timeless values and traditions such as humility, simplicity, kindness, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness, patriotism, respect for others and toward one’s elders continue to be a vital part of who they are.
