[WayneS]

I once lived near a snake-handling church in southwestern Virginia. It was in a small valley, and their church building was a simple rectangular cinder-block structure with a wooden porch, painted white.

A couple of evenings a week a blue light would be illuminated on the front porch and folks would make their way down from the hills towards the church. Anywhere between two and four pick-up trucks would arrive early carrying "snake boxes", and in good weather the congregation would usually hang around socializing outside for a little while as they arrived. At the appointed time they would all file in to the church to have their meeting and do whatever it is they do. They handled primarily timber-rattlers which are the most dangerous poisonous snake indigenous to Virginia.

I thought about going in a few times but I never built up the nerve to attend one of their services. They few of them that I ever spoke to were certainly nice enough, and do not think they would have made me feel unwelcome, but on the other hand no one invited me, and I know I would have felt out of place. Several of the congregation members either owned or worked at small businesses in the valley (feed store, general store, gas station, etc.), and they were plenty nice to do business with. Most of the congregation populated the hills that surrounded that valley, though, and they were rarely seen except when the blue light was on.

[Datom]

I once lived near a snake-handling church in southwestern Virginia. It was in a small valley, and their church building was a simple rectangular cinder-block structure with a wooden porch, painted white.
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They were probably Pentecostals. They snake handle and speak in tongues also. Have a large congregation in the South.

[mad_as_he$$]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

I grew up(for 6 years) in MD/VA area. I hate Timber Rattlers!!! On a Scouting campout a TR bit one of the kids on the calf. 60 years later the guy is still gimped up.

[xrmusn]

I once lived near a snake-handling church in southwestern Virginia.
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I have always had a ‘healthy’ respect for snake handlers.
They are certainly committed (or at least committable)to their beliefs.

HOWEVER, I would not want to spend ANY time in a foxhole or in a life and death situation as he may suddenly believe that whatever is ‘shielding’ him will extend to me....