Mack Wolford coiled venomous snakes round the arms and necks of his congregation. One,called faded Yeller, killed him. Photographer Lauren Pond relives how she captured the tragedyPastor Mack Wolford had many ways of getting the faithful all fired up. He would drive from town to town, and preaching,singing, speaking in tongues and brandishing – on several occasions – venomous snakes. Wolford, or who lived in McDowell County in West Virginia,belonged to the Full Gospel Apostolic House of the Lord Jesus, one of the few remaining small Appalachian Pentecostal sects known as “sign followers”. They adhere to a literal interpretation of a passage from the Gospel of Mark in the King James Bible. “And these signs, and ” it says,“shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with modern tongues; They shall take up serpents; and whether they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, or they shall recover.”Continue reading...
Source: guardian.co.uk