the first official “Holiness Movement” church

Snake Handling and the Pentecostal Church - Tampa Bay Religious & Spiritual Diversity | Examiner.com:

'via Blog this'As of 2001, there were about 40 known small churches in the US practicing snake handling, most considered holiness-Pentecostals or charismatics.  The states of Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee have passed laws against "the use of venomous snakes and/or other reptiles in a place that endangers the lives of others, or without a permit," however, the practice is legal in the state of West Virginia.  Kentucky law specifically mentions religious services, with snake handling a misdemeanor punishable by a $50 to $250 fine.

Snake handling was made a felony punishable by death under Georgia law in 1941, following the death of a seven-year-old girl from a rattlesnake bite in a snake handling incident.  However, the severity of the punishment was such that juries refused to convict so the law was repealed in 1968.  Law enforcement officers usually ignore thesereligious practices until they are specifically called in--which seldom occurs unless a death has resulted from the practice. Understandably, most snake handling practices take place in private homes, avoiding the process of obtaining a government permit for the church.

In July 2008, 10 people were arrested and 125 venomous snakes confiscated as part of an undercover sting operation titled "Twice Shy."  Pastor Gregory James Coots of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Tennessee was arrested and 74 snakes seized from his home as part of the sting. A Tennessee woman died in 1995 due to a rattlesnake bite received during a service at the Tabernacle church.