Pastor dies from snake bite after handling it during church service

oge okonkwo

July 31, 2015 1:43 PM

Authorities say Pastor Brock was bitten on his left arm and refused medical treatment

John David Brock, 60, of Stoney Fork, was handling the snake during a Sunday service at the Mossy Simpson Pentecostal church in Jenson, Kentucky (pictured), when it bit him

A 60-yr-old pastor from Kentucky has died from snake bite which he suffered during a church service.

According to the Kentucky sheriff's office, John David Brock of Stoney Fork was handling a snake during a Sunday service at a Pentecostal church in Jensen.

Authorities say Brock was bitten on his left arm and refused medical treatment. The sheriff's office says Brock went to his brother's home, where he later died.

The local coroner pronounced Brock dead.

Local news site WKYT reports that the sheriff's department has not said what type of snake bit Brock. Members of the church declined comment.

Snake handling at religious services is most common in Southern Appalachian states. The basis for the practice is a passage in the Gospel of Mark.

Last year, a snake-handling Kentucky pastor who appeared on the National Geographic television reality show "Snake Salvation" died after being bitten by a snake.

oge okonkwo