would the snake handling churches be considered independent holiness?

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I think everyone of their churches operates independently but they have annual “Homecoming” services, mainly at the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia, and all the people from the serpent churches flock to this one building.

As most are oneness teaching, I guess they fall out of the mainstream of churches. Any WV Catholics on here ever come in contact with these folks?
 
I am not familiar with the church you describe, but many protestant branches have individual parishes that are owned and operated independently of the affiliated denomination.

Some protestant parishes are owned by the congregation, some are owned by the pastor, and some are owned directly by the denomination. It depends on the specific denomination as to how it is organized.
 
Technically, churches that practice snake handling are called Church of God with signs following. They base their ENTIRE doctrine on Mark 16:16-18 and claim Christ himself handled poisonous snakes as did the Apostles and then REAL Christianity went “under ground.”

A lot of holiness churches have always taught the “under ground” bit which is a MAJOR insult to the Son of God. By declaring this, these churches have stated that Christ’s death wouldn’t suffice humanity until THEIR churches came along. Unreal.😦
 
just_came_back said:
I think everyone of their churches operates independently but they have annual “Homecoming” services, mainly at the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia, and all the people from the serpent churches flock to this one building.

As most are oneness teaching, I guess they fall out of the mainstream of churches. Any WV Catholics on here ever come in contact with these folks?
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it’s a very fringe group in the oneness and holiness pentacostalism. They definitely are out of any mainstream even in pentacostalism/charismatic churches. Since they deny the trinity, I think they basically fall outside normal Christianity, Catholic and Protestant. I did watch a special on them once and they sorta reminded me more of the name it/claim it Kenneth Hagin style faith movement and used the Bible the way faith people do in their snake handeling and drinking of poisen which in their belief system if they have no sin in their lives, they are protected. I hope Itwin can answer more of your questions since he is a pentacostal and on CAF.
 
** I live in KY and I have had contacts with some of those people. There is a big one in London KY. In the last couple years the Pastors wife was bitten and died. I asked one of my friends who is from there, why? His response was, she must have had some unconfessed sin in her life.**
** Those churches consider themselves holiness, not to be confused with Pentecostal. I have visited a holiness church before but, not snakehandlers. I have been invited though,**
 
I attended a Oneness Pentecostal church for a number of years, although not like the one you’re asking about. The snake handling churches were looked down upon by the denomination I was apart of. But to answer your question about if they’re considered independant, I would say in most cases, yes. I was part of the United Pentecostal Church International, but the church wasn’t technically a member of the denomination, but the Pastor was affiliated with the UPCI. Even in the churches that are actually affiliated, you’re pretty much only bound to the denomination as long as you want to be. The pastor is the ultimate authority for that church, and you can have different rules in each church. Your finances aren’t tied to anything other than your church, the church hires the pastor and can fire them(although I’m sure that’s very tough since there’s such an emphasis on the pastor having so much authority), etc.
 
just_came_back said:
I think everyone of their churches operates independently but they have annual “Homecoming” services, mainly at the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia, and all the people from the serpent churches flock to this one building.

As most are oneness teaching, I guess they fall out of the mainstream of churches. Any WV Catholics on here ever come in contact with these folks?
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Are you talking about the Church of God with Signs Following? They are independent Pentecostal-Holiness. Most are non-Trinitarian. Some are Trinitarian.
 
Some snake handlers worked at my father’s shop. They’d call in sick a lot on Mondays (most likely from drinking strychnine). By the way, West Virginia is apparently the only state that doesn’t regulate this religious practice in some way.
 
Actually most scripture scholars agree that the end of Mark was not originally a part of the gospel but was added later.
 
andrewstx said:
Actually most scripture scholars agree that the end of Mark was not originally a part of the gospel but was added later.
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Do not tell them that. Mark 16:16-18 is LIFE to them. I watched a documentary once where a sheriff in Haywood County, NC broke up a snake handling service back in 1985 at a park and these people were weeping that their snakes were being confiscated. I remember the news clip showing the sheriff getting bit by a rattler and couldn’t get it off his hand.:eek:
 
just_came_back said:
I think everyone of their churches operates independently but they have annual “Homecoming” services, mainly at the Church of the Lord Jesus in Jolo, West Virginia, and all the people from the serpent churches flock to this one building.

As most are oneness teaching, I guess they fall out of the mainstream of churches. Any WV Catholics on here ever come in contact with these folks?
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Most SH cults are in Kentucky and further south. Never heard or encountered one in WV.
'Course I haven’t been that deep in the woods…
 
JustaServant said:
Most SH cults are in Kentucky and further south. Never heard or encountered one in WV.
'Course I haven’t been that deep in the woods…
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling

I live near Greenville, SC but the church they have listed on this list of churches does NOT, to my knowledge, handle snakes. They are oneness pentecostals though and get WILD in their services. I’ve seen them on youtube.

One thing I notice among groups like this, they NEVER have communion, eucharist, etc. I’ve even heard some refer to communion as idolatry.:eek:
 
just_came_back said:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling

I live near Greenville, SC but the church they have listed on this list of churches does NOT, to my knowledge, handle snakes. They are oneness pentecostals though and get WILD in their services. I’ve seen them on youtube.

One thing I notice among groups like this, they NEVER have communion, eucharist, etc. I’ve even heard some refer to communion as idolatry.:eek:
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I’m not sure about snake handling churches, there aren’t a lot of them around outside of Appalachia, but as far as I’m aware oneness Pentecostals and Pentecostals generally do believe in communion. They don’t believe in the Real Presence, though.
 
just_came_back said:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling

I live near Greenville, SC but the church they have listed on this list of churches does NOT, to my knowledge, handle snakes. They are oneness pentecostals though and get WILD in their services. I’ve seen them on youtube.

One thing I notice among groups like this, they NEVER have communion, eucharist, etc. I’ve even heard some refer to communion as idolatry.:eek:
Click to expand...
The church I was in usually had communion once a year. It was included with the foot washing ceremony that we held leading up to Easter. But one year when the church was being renovated and we couldn’t hold the foot washing downstairs so as to not get water all over the place, we just didn’t have it at all. Even away from the Church, I had always loved being able to take part in communion, in whatever form the church I was in had it. That was a tough year for me. But generally, it’s just a remembrance of what Jesus did on the Thursday before his death on the cross. It doesn’t hold a whole lot of significance because they place so much emphasis on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, etc. Those are the important things in oneness churches.
 
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