Neil grew up in Lou­i­si­a­na and has lived all over the south­ern Unit­ed States. He was trained as a Pres­by­ter­i­an pas­tor and served as a teach­er in Chris­tian schools in Georg­ia, Ten­nes­see, and Lou­i­si­a­na. As of 2005, he lived in Mi­a­mi, Flor­i­da, where he, his wife Ju­lie, and his child­ren Han­nah, Seth, and Le­ah were mem­bers of the Ken­dall Pres­by­ter­i­an Church.

Inspired by the ex­am­ple of Will­iam Cow­per, Neil be­gan writ­ing hymns to com­bat spir­it­u­al de­press­ion.