 Hensley was arrested in Tennessee on moonshine @-@ related charges during the Prohibition era and sentenced to a term in a workhouse , from which he escaped and fled the state . Hensley traveled to Ohio , where he held revival services , though he and his family rarely stayed long in one location . He established churches , known as the Church of God with Signs Following , in Tennessee and Kentucky . His services ranged from small meetings held in houses to large gatherings that drew media attention and hundreds of attendees . Although he conducted many services , he made little money , and he was arrested for violating laws against snake handling at least twice . During his ministry , Hensley claimed to have been bitten by many snakes without ill effect , and toward the end of his career , he estimated that he had survived more than 400 bites . In 1955 , while conducting a service in Florida , he was bitten by a snake and became violently ill . He refused to seek medical attention and died the following day . Despite his personal failings , he convinced many residents of rural Appalachia that snake handling was commanded by God , and his followers continued the practice after his death . Although snake handling developed independently in several Pentecostal ministries , Hensley is generally credited with spreading the custom in the Southeastern United States . 
