First United Methodist Church of Gatlinburg, TN

 

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We welcome you!

Join us for service on Sundays. Our 8:30 service typically has a small, intimate crowd, with a larger crowd at the 11:00 service. Dress is tourist casual, so we hope to see you here while you visit all the shops and attractions that Gatlinburg has to offer! Located right off the main Parkway across from the historic Gatlinburg Inn, we are conveniently located within walking distance to 60% of all Gatlinburg hotels.

Every person is a child of God and a person of sacred worth. We value your participation in our ministries. We invite you to join us online at our Facebook page and Youtube channel. Thank you for visiting us online! God bless you.

Mission Statement

To reveal Jesus Christ in the world and to follow his teachings through acts of devotion, worship, compassion, and justice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

Organized by a handful of members on October 16, 1938, the church building became a compelling dream of many. Bishop Paul B. Kern, in whose honor the pulpit of the church was placed, dreamed of a worship space where one could “find the heart of God in the heart of the mountains.” The Bishop gave inspirational and material assistance toward its inception.

Charles I. Barber, who bore an unusual love for the mountains, served as the architect who designed the building. Mr. and Mrs. Louis E. Jones made a gift of the land on which the sanctuary would be built. Mrs. Steve (Pearl) Whaley and her sons gave a gift of additional land for the rest of the church building and the parking lot. Mr. Pete McCarter was secured as the contractor, and actual work began in June 1945. When the rock work began, Bishop Kern conducted a service with the rock masons. He told them, “You are building a little Cathedral in the Smokies which will be visited by people from all over the world. Let each stone be a song and each strip of mortar a prayer.” Mr. Jones, a gifted artist, designed the church lighting fixtures hand-crafted of metal, and he also kept a watchful eye on all aspects of the craftsmanship that went into constructing the building. Mr. J.C. Cole, a pioneer Gatlinburg wood craftsman, and his wife, Eunice, designed and built the pews.