This is the startling moment a controversial American pastor, whose father was killed after being bitten by a snake, is himself attacked by a serpent.

Cody Coots is the pastor at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus’ Name church in Middlesboro, Kentucky - one of America’s last remaining snake-handling churches.

During his sermon, Pastor Coots can be seen handling a snake as he preaches to his congregation.

This is the startling moment a controversial American pastor, whose father was killed after being bitten by a snake, is himself attacked by a serpent

Cody Coots (pictured) is the pastor at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus’ Name church in Middlesboro, Kentucky - one of America’s last remaining snake-handling churches

While holding the creature aloft, it snaps it jaw at the preacher’s ear - causing blood to splatter down his light-blue shirt.

Unconcerned, Pastor Coots continues his speech, telling the members attending the service to: ‘Keep playing’ and ‘I’m not worried at all. God’s a healer, I’m not worried’.

Yet it is soon apparent that Pastor Coots is becoming increasingly affected by the snake’s bite as blood rushes down his face - no matter how many times he wipes it away with a cloth.

Soon he is choking and has to be carried out of the church by its members.

During his sermon, Pastor Coots can be seen handling a snake as he preaches to his congregation

While holding the creature aloft, it snaps it jaw at the preacher’s ear - causing blood to splatter down his light-blue shirt

Unconcerned, Pastor Coots continues his speech, telling the members attending the service to: ‘Keep playing’ and ‘I’m not worried at all. God’s a healer, I’m not worried’

He was taken to hospital where doctors told him he could have been ‘killed’ after the snake came close to severing the temporal artery.

Yet he has now reportedly started re-evaluate his life in the wake of this incident.

One of the men to take him to hospital, Big Cody, told Barcroft TV: ‘Most people bit in the face are dead in five, ten minutes. I mean, his own daddy got bit in the hand and within seven minutes was dead.’

Pastor Coot’s father, Jamie Coots, 42, was handling a rattlesnake at very same church during one of his sermons in 2014 when he was bitten on the hand and died.

Appalachia's serpent-handling pastors use the snakes to show non-Christians that God protects them from harm, holding them aloft as they pray, sing and dance.

Yet it is soon apparent that Pastor Coots is becoming increasingly affected by the snake’s bite as blood rushes down his face. In the end he has to be carried out of the church by its members

He was taken to hospital where doctors told him he could have been ‘killed’ after the snake came close to severing the temporal artery

A member of the church confidently handles a deadly snake before passing it on to the pastor

The belief stems from a literal reading of Jesus' words in the Gospel of Mark: 'And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.'

Pastor Coot’s wife Tammy, 25, said: ‘That church is their blood, you know. It started with their family and it’s going down with their family.

‘Me and Cody didn’t talk about religion until after we got married and all I said is, “God, what did I get myself into?”’

The clip will feature in a larger film about the church on My Life Inside: The Snake Church which premieres on Barcroft TV, on YouTube, from Friday August 17.

The pastor (pictured holding a snake at his home on June 14, 2015) has now reportedly started re-evaluate his life in the wake of this incident

Pastor Coots holds a snake at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name on June 13, 2015 in Middlesboro, Kentucky

Pictured: Pastor Cody Coots looks on as a parishioner handles a snake