Snake Salvation Pastor Andrew Hamblin cheating scandal explodes on Facebook PART ONE

Snake-handling preacher Andrew Hamblin from National Geographic Channel’s reality series Snake Salvation is quite experienced at handling numerous venomous reptiles like rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths, but apparently there is one serpent he can’t control. [pause] It’s been rumored for months that Hamblin cheated on his pregnant wife and mother of his five children, Elizabeth Hamblin (seen with Andrew in the photo above), with a married female member of his congregation, but details of the affair had been kept relatively hush-hush at the request of Elizabeth. That is, until Wednesday, when Andrew’s mistress took to Facebook and called Elizabeth out for infidelity as well. Then all hell broke loose!

Let me first take a step back and set the stage. Back in June was the first public indication that anything was wrong in the Hamblin’s relationship when Elizabeth posted this message on Facebook:

For a preacher / pastor to divorce his wife without just cause there is something going on behind closed doors……with that being said Andrew Hamblin and I are getting a divorce.no I do not won’t to but he’s the one taking and doing this to his family who has stood behind him threw everything he’s ever went threw.so to inform u all this way but its no secret. I love him with all my heart and has begged to him not to do this but its in his hands.he knows he has preached against divorce ……..so for me and my kids I’ll take care of us.pray me cause I’m gonna need it..

The announcement was especially surprising given that Elizabeth was pregnant with the couple’s sixth child. Prior to the divorce announcement, on June 5, Elizabeth shared this next photo with three of her sons touching her belly and holding a sign that reads, “Baby Hamblin #6”

Things remained relatively quiet, at least as far as what was revealed to the public. But, there were a few exceptions, including this screen cap posted by Elizabeht Hamblin that shows a rather bitter text exchange between her and Andrew’s mistress, Taylor Elaine Noe, in which the two ladies fought over who was currently “handling his serpent” so to speak:

Taylor was a member of Hamblin’s Tabernacle Church of God in LaFollette, Tennessee, and her husband, Derrick, is a pastor himself who often preached alongside Andrew. (The couple used to have a “Derrick Noe & Family Ministries” website, but it has since been deleted.) Derrick and Taylor have two children. Here is a photo of Andrew and Derrick together in the pulpit:

(In case you missed it, Andrew Hamblin was evicted from the church building by the landlord after failing to pay rent. That’s important because it comes up several times later.)

After Elizabeth’s posting of her text message conversation with Taylor, the topic was brought up several times on a Snake Salvation Facebook fan page, but Elizabeth would always reply by insisting that it was nobody’s business what was going on and to pray for her and Andrew.

Then, on Wednesday, there was a post on the fan page with some commenters coming to the defense of Andrew which was soon deleted. (I did not see the post before it was deleted, so I am unsure exactly what was being said.) Someone created another post asking what had happened to the previous one and that’s when Taylor and Elizabeth got into an EPIC battle that could make Andy Cohen slack-jawed! Normally I might try to summarize with quotes and excerpts, but I feel I have no other option but to present this to you in its entirety, with the names and photos of other Facebook users involved pixelated. So, get your scrolling finger ready…

UPDATE – The thread below has since been deleted, but Taylor has returned to tell her side of the story in great detail, including screen capped Facebook messages, a recent photo of her and Andrew and there are even photos of the letter Andrew wrote to Elizabeth (crumpled of course). CLICK HERE to read Part 2 of the Snake Salvation Hamblin affair story!

National Geographic Channel previously announced that Snake Salvation would not be back for a second season.