William Neal Glass was born September 3, 1951 to William Marvin and Margaret Jean Neal Glass in Columbia, Tennessee. Neal was the middle child, between two older and two younger sisters. Neal's father was a clerk for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. His mother was a homemaker and in her later years worked in the Arrington, TN post office, becoming the postmaster before retiring. Home for Neal was diverse, living in Mt. Pleasant, TN briefly before moving to Florence, AL in infancy. First grade through eighth grade was spent in Lewisburg, TN; moving to Arrington, TN in the ninth grade, high school was spent at Franklin High, where he graduated in 1969. Churches became most important for Neal when he lived in Lewisburg and attended First United Methodist Church. He was active in the Children’s choir, Sunday School and Vacation Bible Schools. He attended Membership Training Class and was baptized by Rev. Hollis Hunt. Attendance at Jr. High Camps at Crossville and Beersheba Springs were also very formative spiritual activities. Moving to Arrington, TN prior to the beginning of the 9th grade Neal’'s family joined the Trinity United Methodist Church on Wilson Pike in Franklin. Rev. Edd Templeton was pastor and brought growth to the youth ministry at Trinity. Neal was elected to serve as both local, sub-district, district and conference president of Youth. Being given the opportunity to do lay speaking at Trinity, Neal felt the call to ministry and had that called confirmed as he went to Martin College in Pulaski and served as a student lay speaker under the direction of Rev. Marcus Nickell on the Aspen Hill-Kedron (9/69-12/69) and Prospect-Bethel (12/69-2/70) Charges. Rev. Ed Blackburn, pastor of Savannah First United Methodist Church, Savannah, TN. gave Neal the opportunity to be Youth Director from February through August 1970.Returning to Martin College in the Fall of 1970, Rev. Jacob Gardner, pastor of Trinity, Cedar Hill, Pleasant Ridge, Chestnut Grove (9/70-3/71) and Minor Hill, Cedar Grove (3/71-6/71) gave Neal opportunity to learn more about ministry.Neal graduated from Martin College with an Associate of Arts degree in May of 1971. Being offered his first appointment in the Tennessee Conference (which included a parsonage) and having met Judy Ann Ferguson during his second year at Martin, they both decided to attend Austin Peay State University in Clarksville,TN to finish undergraduate work. Further plans were made and they were married December 18, 1971. Neal and Judy finished undergraduate work at Austin Peay State University and graduated with Bachelor’s Degrees in May of 1973. Neal entered Vanderbilt Divinity School in September 1973 and graduated with a Masters in Divinity in May of 1976. Great joy entered their life when Jonathan William Glass was born on February 7, 1983. His uncle, Rev. Malcolm Patton, baptized Jonathan on May 15, 1983. Jonathan works for Sargent and Lundy in Chattanooga.
