George Went Hensley
Encyclopedia
George Went Hensley was one of the founders of the Church of God with Signs Following
, a 20th century snake handling
movement that was centered in the southeastern United States
. A Tennessee native, Hensley contributed to the popularization of snake handling in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Hensley is sometimes referred to as the "[father] of contemporary serpent handling," an honor that fails to acknowledge the role of James Miller, a contemporary of Hensley who was active in the Sand Mountain, Alabama
, area.
Hensley was purported to have been bitten over 400 times by the snakes he handled, always refusing medical treatment. On July 24, 1955, one of these bites proved fatal. George Hensley died the next day.
Church of God with Signs Following
The Church of God with Signs Following is the name applied to Pentecostal Holiness churches that practice snake handling and drinking poison in worship services, based on an interpretation of the following biblical passage:...
, a 20th century snake handling
Snake handling
Snake handling or serpent handling is a religious ritual in a small number of Pentecostal churches in the U.S., usually characterized as rural and Holiness. The practice began in the early 20th century in Appalachia, spreading to mostly coal mining towns. The practice plays only a small part of...
movement that was centered in the southeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. A Tennessee native, Hensley contributed to the popularization of snake handling in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Hensley is sometimes referred to as the "[father] of contemporary serpent handling," an honor that fails to acknowledge the role of James Miller, a contemporary of Hensley who was active in the Sand Mountain, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, area.
Hensley was purported to have been bitten over 400 times by the snakes he handled, always refusing medical treatment. On July 24, 1955, one of these bites proved fatal. George Hensley died the next day.
Further reading
- Dennis Covington, Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia (1995)