Neal - That's a new question! I don't know! (laughs) This whole thing about ministry is … well; I haven't really held it like that. I know that I'm trying to reach people for the Lord. A minister means servant, so yes I'm trying to do that. But I think the word minister or ministry kind of freaks some people out. Like "Now Neal is going to be mean and tell us how we're supposed to live or we're going to Hell". That's not how is it at all, but I would like to help. So in that sense, yes these albums are ministry. I'm just really trying to be led by the Holy Ghost and let the Lord lead it however he wants it to be. So if that is termed progressive, that's fine. I just feel like, well, in the middle of this career as a progressive artist, I found the Lord and I surrendered my life to him. I feel that He wants me to continue in that genre of music ministering to the people that like that style of music. I feel like it's part of God reaching for all people. He'll speak to people in whatever language they can understand. I'm just trying to communicate how God has touched my heart to the people in a language they can understand.
Kim - I read that the story line behind One is about one man leaving God and becoming his own God.
Neal - What I really meant to say is that it's about mankind leaving God, not one specific person. I'm really talking about the garden and man's rebellion against God.
Kim - So it's not autobiographical to where you were before coming to Christ?
Neal - No, not at all. When I surrendered to the Lord I was ready to not do music at all if that was His will. I still am. But I feel like He's calling me forth to do these things. He's been way outside of the box with me.
Kim - The mainstream and CCM press both called Testimony, your first solo release, one of the best progressive rock albums of the year, yet the big labels still wouldn't bite. Why do you suppose that is?
Neal - It's business. They don't see the numbers. If they saw numbers they'd be calling me. I don't fault them for that. I'm in business as with my own small label so I understand and I'm OK with it. I think the Lord has me right where he wants me. There are countless examples in the bible of small things being used to do big things. So I'm not looking for big things right now because I'm in a small market.
Kim - Do you suffer from impatience at times ... along the lines of "OK Lord, You changed my life and called me to do this music. I don't care about being able to say 'I played in front of 100,000 people last night' just for the sake of saying it ... but I want to share You with as many people as possible. So why can't I get a break here for bigger exposure of YOU'"?
Neal - No, I haven't felt that way yet. I think the key, for me, is … for example, last year I was invited to sing at the Moody Church, a very big church. It was really great. When we were ready to leave to come home, the people we were traveling with asked if we minded if we stopped at the old folks home to see their grandmother. I was like "No, let's take the kids in and we'll sing". We went in and sang for her grandmother and all of these elderly that were there. The kids sang "Amazing Grace" and we didn't do any of my songs, but my heart was so blessed. I can't explain it but the Holy Ghost came in and blessed us so much. I think a lot of times it can help to be open to the spirit wherever you are because the real blessings can be not where we're expecting them. I'm always praying to be able to look through the Lord's eyes.
Kim - What's the most moving thing that has happened to you at a show?
Neal - I guess the most amazing thing that's happened so far, in the short time I've been a Christian, was when we played the London gig on the Testimony tour. The Lord pierced my heart at one point about my daughter being healed. I hadn't done that before in that setting. It was sort of a dark nightclub in downtown London. I didn't know what was going to happen. I was just crying at the end. Everybody broke into this great applause and the whole spirit of the night changed. Mike Portnoy, the drummer, came up to me and said "Man, I've been playing all my life and I almost cried on stage. That's never happened before. I was just so moved." That's what is possible when you step out. It was really stepping out in faith for me. I wound up doing that for the rest of the shows on that tour.
