Neale Pryor, a College Church elder since 1977, has taught Bible classes for the congregation since 1962. The classes ranged from junior high, high school, young married, and older adults. He has held 10-15 gospel meetings for the church and served as interim preacher twice. Neale has preached at countless numbers of weddings and funerals. He has also served as Vacation Bible School director several times, and he started the congregation’s visitation program.

Neale was born in Mayfield, Ky. His family lived in Bardwell and Lexington before returning to Mayfield when he was eight. His father was an elder, and his mother was a Bible teacher. Neale began serving communion when he was 10 or 11. He delivered his first sermon when he was 12. By the time he was a high school senior, he was preaching quite a bit.

After graduating from high school, he attended Freed-Hardeman from 1952 to 1954. At that time, it was a junior college. He then transferred to Harding, majoring in English and continuing to preach at churches in driving distance of Searcy. Neale received a B.A. in English in 1956 and a Master’s in Bible in 1958.

While finishing a second Master’s in Bible at the Memphis campus, he preached for the Oak Grove congregation in Northwest Tennessee. An older friend from Mayfield, who was visiting Oak Grove, noticed a very attractive young lady and asked the young preacher an important question, “Why don’t you date Treva”?

Neale’s response was, “I don’t date girls where I preach.” His friend replied, “It would be easier to find another preaching place than to find another girl like her.” Neale soon reconsidered. Since Treva was then living in Fulton, he would pick her up on the way to church. They were married in 1960 and spent their first two years together in Wood River, Ill., where Neale preached.

In 1962, they moved to Searcy for Neale to teach Bible at Harding. After Treva earned her Bachelor’s degree at Harding, she began teaching at Harding Academy. They have been members of the College Church since 1962.

Neale preached for the Beedeville congregation for four years. The Pryors lived in New Orleans from 1966 to 1968 so that Neale could attend the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He preached for the Slidell, La., congregation while earning his Doctor of Theology degree.

Besides teaching Bible at Harding, he served as Chairman of the Bible Department for several years, as Vice President for Academic Affairs for eighteen years, and Director of the Annual Bible Lectureship for a number of years. He was a sponsor for Beta Phi Social Club, an assistant sponsor for Alpha Chi, and a member of the Searcy Optimist Club.

Altogether, Neale has held about 500 gospel meetings in about 40 states and several foreign countries. He has written a book, You Can Trust Your Bible, as well as articles for numerous publications.

The Pryors’ daughter, Lori, her husband, Ellis Sloan, and their two children, Camille and Benjamin, live near the Pryors. They worship with the College Church. Neale and Treva’s son, Alan Neale, passed away on April 8, 2002. Alan’s children, Dylan and Nikole, live with their mother, Kerrin, near Cookeville, Tennessee.