Charles McKendree Neal was born April 12, 1878 in Hamilton Township, Sullivan County, Indiana. He was married twice. His first marriage was to Glenn Vanderpool who was born May 14, 1884. The couple were married in Sullivan County, Indiana April 9, 1905. Glenn passed away giving birth to her first child, May 7, 1906. She is buried in Hymera, Sullivan County, Indiana in the Bethel Cemetery. He was remarried to Anna Winifred Bottorff, September 6, 1908. In their marriage she bore six children to him.
         He was baptized into Christ, August 7, 1896. By 1899, he and his brother Ed were taking leadership roles in the church they attended at Deckard School House. He entered Potter Bible College in Bowling Green, Kentucky, around 1906 or 1907, and finished his ministry studies in September 1909.
         Fully prepared for the ministry, he preached for a time in Linton, Indiana at the Fourth Street Church of Christ. In July 1911 he began preaching in Duggar, Indiana. In August, 1916 the family moved to Portland, Maine where he worked with the church there. In January 1922 the family moved back to Duggar, Indiana where he continued with that church for three years. In November 1925 the family moved once again to Winchester, Kentucky where he began preaching for the Main Street Church of Christ. He continued at Main Street until retiring from full-time work in 1940.
         It was during his stay at Main Street that C.M. Neal was thrust into national attention among churches of Christ due to his views on eschatology (end of time). He was a dispensational premillennialist. He held two debates with Texas preacher, Foy E. Wallace, Jr., who held to an amillennial view of the Kingdom. In the debate, Neal affirmed, "The Bible clearly teaches that after the second coming of Christ and before the final resurrection and judgment, there will be an age or dispensation of one thousand years during which Christ will reign on the earth."
         Neal met Wallace in two debates, one in Winchester, Kentucky January 2-6, 1933. The latter discussion took place in Chattanooga, Tennessee later that year, June 6-9. The initial debate was printed, the Neal-Wallace Discussion, published by the Gospel Advocate Company. It is presently out of print, though used copies are generally available online.
         The last years of Neal’s life was in preaching and teaching where he could. He traveled all over the Midwest, the Great Plains, and as far south as Florida. He was affiliated with the Bible Truth Society and Biblical Research Society.
         In early November, 1956 he suffered with uremic poisoning. This led to his passing on the 9th. He was laid to rest in the Winchester Cemetery, there to await the coming of the Lord.