The Church of God with Signs Following is a Christian snake-handling sect primarily located in the Appalachian region of the southeastern United States. The group is known for its literal interpretation of Mark 16:17-18, which it understands to command acts such as handling venomous snakes, drinking poison, and enduring fire as demonstrations of faith and divine protection. Its origins trace to the early 20th-century Pentecostal movement, with snake handling itself first appearing in American Christianity around 1910.
The movement is most closely associated with George Went Hensley, a Pentecostal preacher from Grasshopper Valley in southeastern Tennessee. Although he is often credited as the founder of snake handling, academic studies have questioned that claim, suggesting that the practice may have developed independently in multiple locations. Nonetheless, historians generally agree that Hensley’s leadership, preaching, and promotion of the practice played a central role in spreading snake handling throughout the southeastern U.S.
Hensley was an ordained minister of the Church of God, now known as the Church of God (Cleveland), which was founded by Richard Spurling and A. J. Tomlinson. In 1922, Hensley resigned from the denomination, citing “trouble in the home.” His departure coincided with the height of snake handling within the Church of God, which later began to distance itself from the practice and officially disavowed it during the 1920s.
During the 1930s, Hensley resumed active ministry and traveled widely across the Southeast, continuing to promote snake handling as an expression of faith. He taught that believers filled with the Holy Spirit should be able to handle serpents and drink poison without harm, viewing these actions as both a test and a demonstration of faith. This form of worship gained traction in the small towns of Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana, leading to the formation of numerous affiliated congregations across the Appalachian region.
In 1943, Hensley and Ramond Hayes, a younger follower, established a new congregation. Two years later, in 1945, they formally named it the Dolly Pond Church of God with Signs Following. Churches influenced by Hensley’s ministry became collectively known as the Church of God with Signs Following. The movement’s theology closely aligns with Pentecostalism, emphasizing the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, divine healing, and a literal interpretation of Scripture. Snake handling within these congregations is viewed as a biblical command and, in some interpretations, a sign of victory over evil spirits. Hensley’s ministry ended in 1955, when he died after being bitten by a snake during a worship service he was conducting in Florida.
Membership in the Church of God with Signs Following is decentralized, with no formal governing body or comprehensive membership records. Estimates of its size vary from about 1,000 to as many as 5,000 adherents, organized into roughly 50 to 100 autonomous congregations. The movement has faced longstanding legal and social challenges due to its high-risk religious practices. Most Appalachian states have banned snake handling in public worship services on public safety grounds. Despite these restrictions, the movement has endured in small, private congregations that often meet several times a week. Worship services typically include spontaneous and charismatic elements such as speaking in tongues, dancing, and convulsions.
While the practice has led to injuries and fatalities — at least 92 documented deaths from snakebites — adherents generally refrain from seeking medical treatment, viewing such outcomes as part of God’s will rather than a failure of faith. The Church of God with Signs Following continues to exist, with members interpreting both legal opposition and public criticism as tests of their faith.
Key Sources:
Covington, D. (2009). Salvation on sand mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia. Da Capo Press.
Handwerk, B. (2003, April 4). Snake handlers hang on in Appalachian churches. National Geographic.
Stone, M. (2023, March 6). Hiss story: The last snake-handling church in West Virginia – in pictures. The Guardian.