Mark ‘Mack’ Wolford, a 44-year-old venomous snake-handling minister of Full Gospel Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus in Matoaka, West Virginia, died after being bitten by a timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus). The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 27, while Wolford was presiding over a service in Panther State Forest. He was taken to the hospital and passed away at approximately 10:30 p.m. that evening.
Wolford followed in the footsteps of his father, who also died from a snakebite during a church service when Wolford was a teenager. Followers of Wolford’s religion, considered an offshoot of Pentecostalism, interpret the Book of Mark in the King James Bible literally. They believe that a rattlesnake bite can signify several things: the bitten person has sinned, has not lived a righteous life, or that God is using that person as a messenger to confirm the faith and the truth of the word. The timber rattlesnake is native to the eastern United States and typically grows to three to five feet in length. It is considered one of the most dangerous rattlesnakes due to its long fangs and high venom yield, though it generally has a mild disposition compared to other rattlesnakes. It is the state reptile of West Virginia, one of the few states where snake handling in religious services is still permitted.
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