A battery powered ignition and control system for a gas burner includes circuits for controlling a pilot burner, a main burner, a flame sensor and an igniter. Mechanically latched valves, which require power only to switch between and open and closed state are used to control the pilot and main gas. The circuitry spends a majority of time in a powered down state and draws power only when required to interrogate the state of the flame and to perform an ignition sequence as required, as periodically dictated by a watchdog system. The latching valves are electrically pulsed to change state and thus draw very low average power when called upon. Lithium batteries provide system power for a long duration.