(Wash. Post) Julia Duin—Serpent-handling Pentecostal Pastor dies from rattlesnake bite

Posted by Kendall Harmon

Mark Randall “Mack” Wolford was known all over Appalachia as a daring man of conviction. He believed that the Bible mandates that Christians handle serpents to test their faith in God — and that, if they are bitten, they trust in God alone to heal them.

He and other adherents cited Mark 16:17-18 as the reason for their practice: “And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The son of a serpent handler who himself died in 1983 after being bitten, Wolford was trying to keep the practice alive, both in West Virginia, where it is legal, and in neighboring states where it is not. He was the kind of man reporters love: articulate, friendly and appreciative of media attention....

Read it all.

Filed under: * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • Rural/Town Life • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Pentecostal

19 Comments
Posted May 31, 2012 at 6:00 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. Pageantmaster [KJS to Coventry] wrote:

Luke 4:12

May 31, 7:46 am | [comment link]
2. KevinBabb wrote:

The deceased was a faithful member of his sect—but the snake was a Presbyterian.

May 31, 10:04 am | [comment link]
3. Pageantmaster [KJS to Coventry] wrote:

It’s what comes of Continuing Indaba with snakes I suppose.

Nice to see Julia Duin writing for the Post again.

May 31, 10:25 am | [comment link]
4. Don C wrote:

Salvation on Sand Mountain by Dennis Covington is a fascinating read.

May 31, 12:48 pm | [comment link]
5. Ralph wrote:

Anti-venom usually works, but the true believers won’t hear of it.

I wonder what moral obligation the folks who witnessed this would have, as far as calling for help once it happened.

The article didn’t mention whether he had children. A comment nominates him for a Darwin Award.

R.I.P.

I don’t think this practice ever made it into TEC charismatic worship, though some of the TEC radicals are handling serpentine teachings that are even more dangerous.

May 31, 2:59 pm | [comment link]
6. KevinBabb wrote:

By the way, I was raised in a United Pentecostal congregation in Southern Illinois—and they thought that the snake handlers were pretty far “out there”.

May 31, 5:42 pm | [comment link]
7. Paula Loughlin wrote:

Don C, that is a great read.  Thomas Burton’s “Serpent Handling Believes” published by the University of Tennessee Press is also excellent.

May 31, 5:43 pm | [comment link]
8. Paula Loughlin wrote:

I think most of the “Signs Following” sects are “Oneness Pentecostals.”

May 31, 5:45 pm | [comment link]
9. Ad Orientem wrote:

If I were the coroner terminal stupidity would be listed as the cause of death. Sorry if that sounds uncharitable. I really do feel for his family. But the man watched his father die from the same thing. In my book that makes him more a candidate for a Darwin Award than sympathy.

May 31, 6:24 pm | [comment link]
10. Myopic One wrote:

I will never understand WHY people dont read and apply “God will not be tempted”.... just because you believe, does not mean you should walk out into moving traffic…. or even not look both ways before you cross. It may not be your time to go…lol

May 31, 7:14 pm | [comment link]
11. Myopic One wrote:

ROFLMBO!

May 31, 7:15 pm | [comment link]
12. Myopic One wrote:

ROFLMBO @ Orientem

May 31, 7:16 pm | [comment link]
13. MichaelA wrote:

For some reason the snake-handlers don’t seem to have ever made it to Australia. Do you think they might want to start up a sect here?

May 31, 7:55 pm | [comment link]
14. MichaelA wrote:

In view of this table, I am sure they would find a much better test of their faith down-under: http://www.avru.org/general/general_mostvenom.html

May 31, 7:58 pm | [comment link]
15. jkc1945 wrote:

The Mark scripture which is used to ‘justify’ this practice doesn’t even appear in the oldest of the Mark gospels that are extant.

May 31, 8:39 pm | [comment link]
16. Ross wrote:

#13/#14 MichaelA:

Well, you did have this guy:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXh0rLQPK5g

May 31, 8:55 pm | [comment link]
17. Cennydd13 wrote:

Lie down with snakes, and you’ll get bitten.  End of story.

May 31, 9:57 pm | [comment link]
18. Myopic One wrote:

Truthfully I feel sad for the crowd watching. It is my understanding that the purpose of snake handling is not only a test of faith, but proof that the handler is so close to God, that he will quiet the snakes desire to bite. So this was a double whammy for those followers.

June 1, 11:18 am | [comment link]
19. Sarah wrote:

I also found it quite sad.

Bad theology kills.  In some instances it kills faster than others, but it always is deeply harmful to human beings.

June 2, 9:59 am | [comment link]
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