or


[08/07/13 - 01:17 PM]
New Series "Snake Salvation" Takes a Look into the Religious Ritual of Snake Handling, Premieres 9/10, 9 PM
The National Geographic Channel series follows pastors Jamie Coots and Andrew Hamblin who "are determined to keep their tradition alive no matter the cost."

[via press release from National Geographic Channel]

IN THE HEART OF APPALACHIA, FAITH IN GOD CAN MEAN HOLDING DEATH IN YOUR BARE HANDS

New Series Snake Salvation Takes a Hissing Look at Two Pastors Who Lead Congregations in the Religious Ritual of Snake Handling

Snake Salvation Premieres Tuesday, September 10, at 9:00 and 9:30 PM ET/PT

(Washington, D.C. - August 7, 2013) Imagine if your path into heaven was contingent on holding deadly snakes above your head while speaking and singing in tongues. Based on a Bible passage that suggests a poisonous snakebite will do no harm as long as its handler is anointed by God's power, some devotees of this unconventional ritual practiced in 100 churches in the U.S. believe not participating will leave them destined for hell.

Following in the National Geographic Channel tradition of taking you inside the worlds of everyday people living unordinary lives, the new series Snake Salvation, premiering Tuesday, September 10, at 9:00 and 9:30 p.m. ET, follows two pastors of this creed who frequently battle the law, a disapproving society and sometimes their own families to lead their faithful followers to righteousness. For pastors Jamie Coots and Andrew Hamblin, the work is always hard, but always worth it, as to them, handling snakes is nothing short of a commandment from God. You can call them crazy, but they are determined to keep their tradition alive no matter the cost.

"Jamie and Andrew take huge risks in practicing their faith, not just in terms of the danger posed by the venomous serpents they handle, but also from law enforcement," said Matthew Testa, the executive producer for the series. "But they firmly believe they are commanded by the Bible to take up serpents as a sign to non-believers, and feel strongly they are exercising their religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution. They often say, 'God's law trumps the law of man.' "

Pentecostals who call themselves "Holiness" followers have been handling deadly snakes for more than a hundred years in the United States. Since its founding there have been as many as 100 reported deaths from church-related snake bites. The doctrine of the faith is based on a passage from the Book of Mark (Mark 16:17-18) that says, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

For nearly 20 years Pastor Jamie Coots has led the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name, founded by his grandfather, in Middlesboro, Ky. His father, Greg, was also a snake-handling minister, and Jamie's son "Little Cody" hopes to one day carry on the family tradition. Though Pastor Jamie lost half of a finger to a rattlesnake bite, he still believes he must take up serpents to follow his faith. His biggest supporter is his wife, Linda, who plays instruments at every church service and adheres to their faith's strict tenets that forbid women from cutting their hair, wearing makeup or wearing pants. Though she gets nervous watching her husband at work, Linda feels no fear when handling snakes herself - describing it as "a calm" that overtakes her.

"My job as pastor is to kindly keep myself and my flock in line, and to do what we feel is right according to the word of God," says Pastor Jamie. "To me it's as much a commandment from God when he said 'they shall take up serpents,' as it was when he said 'thou shall not commit adultery.'"

Pastor Andrew Hamblin used to be a member of Pastor Jamie's congregation, and he is close enough to Jamie to call him "Dad." Now Andrew, only 22 years old, has started his own church of "sign followers," and though he is young and passionate, he is still working to prove himself to his flock. He is struggling to provide for his wife, Elizabeth, and their five children while on food stamps, and he is on a mission to grow his small church by appealing to a younger generation. The financial burden for running his own church may be too much for him to bear.

"I've got something in my soul greater than anything," says Pastor Andrew. "If I lost my wife to it, if I lost my children, God in heaven forbid I ever do, when my children get old enough to handle them � it would take all I had in me, because I love my wife. I love my kids. But it'd still be the word of God and I'd still have to do it."

Each episode of Snake Salvation will follow Pastors Jamie and Andrew as they fight to maintain their struggling churches. Their biggest obstacle is their most important: finding and sustaining a collection of venomous snakes to use in their services. Each will take viewers along as they head out on snake roundups, racing to find dens of their coveted cold-blooded reptiles before winter starts and the snakes go into hiding. With both pastors too financially strapped to purchase their supply, they are often forced to get creative to keep their stock thriving, be it snake trading at Repticon, the reptile convention, or illegally transporting venomous reptiles from warmer climates across state lines. Even if they can keep their snake population thriving, and stay out of jail, they're also challenged to find and retain followers to their unorthodox faith. Many community members scoff at their bizarre practices, members of their own families teeter on faithfulness and reformed criminals use it as their best defense against backsliding into sin. National Geographic's cameras were there when many church members were bitten by one of the poisonous serpents. But the pastors' own faith never falters that they'll be able to inspire their masses to seek their personal Snake Salvation.

Snake Salvation is a National Geographic Television (NGT) production executive produced by Jerry Decker and Matthew Testa. Ted Duvall is senior producer. For National Geographic Channels, Madeleine Carter is executive producer and Kevin Mohs is the vice president of production and development.

###

National Geographic Channel

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in 85 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 38 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.





  [august 2013]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SNAKE SALVATION (NGC)





[11/25/24 - 02:49 PM]
Hallmark's Critically Acclaimed, Hit Series "The Way Home" Jumps Back Into the Pond When Season 3 Premieres January 2, Exclusively on Hallmark+
Season three picks up where season two left off - with Kat (Chyler Leigh) and her brother Jacob (Spencer Macpherson), who went missing more than two decades ago at the age of eight and is now an adult, poised to walk into the Landry home to an unsuspecting Del (Andie MacDowell).

[11/25/24 - 12:30 PM]
"The Curious Case of Natalia Grace" Returns This January for the Final Chapter
"The Final Chapter" offers a conclusion to Natalia's story as she strives for healing and resolution in her tumultuous journey filled with decades of unexpected twists and turns.

[11/25/24 - 12:00 PM]
Matthew Broderick and Son James Wilkie Broderick to Guest Star on CBS' "Elsbeth" in 2025
This will be the first time the father and son share the screen together.

[11/25/24 - 11:00 AM]
Peacock's "Richard Ramirez: The Night Stalker Tapes" Exposes the Troubled Man Behind the Dark Myth Through Firsthand Recordings and Accounts from Some of the Women Who Knew Him Best
Collected from more than 25 hours of audio recordings - most of which have never been heard before - and including revealing interviews with his family, friends and wife, the series explores the dark forces that led Ramirez to become the infamous Night Stalker.

[11/25/24 - 10:32 AM]
Video: Tom Hanks Narrates an Extraordinary Journey - "The Americas" - NBC
Narrated by Academy Award winner Tom Hanks comes the extraordinary journey of Earth's great supercontinent.

[11/25/24 - 10:30 AM]
Epic Landmark Natural History Series "Asia" Set to Premiere Saturday, January 25 on BBC America and AMC+
Presented by renowned naturalist and three-time Emmy Award-winner Sir David Attenborough, the cinematic series explores each corner of this remarkable part of our planet and journeys through Asia's most stunning landscapes, uncovering stories of extraordinary unseen animal behavior.

[11/25/24 - 10:20 AM]
AMC Networks' Launches Inaugural "Celebrating Indigenous Stories" Collection on AMC+
Also included in the special collection, and as part of the company's "Future of Film" initiative, which partners with indie film festivals that feature emerging talent from historically excluded communities, is the company's first-ever "Indigenous Rising Stars" collection.

[11/25/24 - 09:02 AM]
MTV's "Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta" Rings in the New Year with All-New Episodes Starting Tuesday, January 7 at 8PM ET/PT
MTV today announced the return of the popular docuseries, bringing viewers more drama, music, and the personal stories that keep fans hooked.

[11/25/24 - 09:00 AM]
Final Season of "Blue Bloods" to Conclude on Friday, Dec. 13 with Two Remaining Episodes
Amanda Kloots and Edward James Olmos will guest star in the final installments.

[11/25/24 - 09:00 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases the First-Look Teaser for "Beast Games" Competition Series
The series is set to debut weekly on Thursday, December 19 on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[11/25/24 - 08:00 AM]
Legendary Artist, Actor, Producer, Author and Entrepreneur Queen Latifah to Host "The 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors" to Be Broadcast Sunday, Dec. 22 on CBS
The Kennedy Center Honors recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique contributions have shaped the way we see ourselves, each other and our world.

[11/25/24 - 07:16 AM]
Stream Max Today for 70% Off
This limited time deal is available now through Monday, December 2 for both new and returning subscribers on Max.com, Apple, Google Play, Roku, Samsung, and Xumo, and for new Max customers only on Amazon Fire TV.

[11/25/24 - 07:05 AM]
2024 Billboard Music Awards to Air on December 12 in First-of-Its-Kind Multi-Platform Viewing Experience Across FOX, Paramount+ and Amazon's Fire TV Channels
Hosted by actress and comedian Michelle Buteau, the 2024 BBMAs presented by Marriott Bonvoy airs on Thursday, December 12 at 8:00pm ET/PT on FOX and Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+, with performances also rolling out across Billboard.com, and via BBMAs and Billboard social channels.

[11/25/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Missing You" - Official Trailer - Netflix
What would you do if your ex disappeared and came back into your life after 11 years? Your next Harlan Coben New Year's Day watch is almost here.

[11/25/24 - 07:01 AM]
5&2 Studios Announces Theatrical Debut of "The Chosen: Last Supper" (Season 5) on March 27, 2025 and Unveils First Look Trailer
Later in 2025, the season will make its streaming debut.