Congregations exist mainly in poor coal mining communities.
Serpent handling has been outlawed in all but two southern states. Shall Take Up Serpents , we hear the voices of believers and non-believers alike, widows who have lost their husbands to snakebite and wives who fear the same fate. We are the secret guests at different churches, hearing the sounds of music and preaching as the frenzied service escalates to the pitch necessary for the passing of snakes and strychnine to begin among the dancing congregants. The documentary is an intimate portrait of unwavering faith and religious ecstasy virtually unknown in mainstream American traditions. There are several thousand practicing snake handlers today.