Colin Neave’s story begins in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was born on 6th August 1939, just one month before Britain declared war on Germany. By the age of three, he had already encountered the terror of conflict. One night in 1942, as the air raid sirens wailed across the city, his mother hurried Colin and his brother into the basement shelter. The nearby bombs grew louder until a shockwave blasted open the cellar door, revealing a starlit sky and their terrifying proximity to death. The next morning, they learned a house on the neighbouring street had been obliterated.
It was a near miss that left a lasting imprint on Colin’s soul. Survival would be the beginning of a life marked by purpose.
An Unexpected Life in Motion
Colin didn’t take easily to formal education, admitting he “hated school greatly.” Yet he carved out a career for himself as a chartered accountant. At 27, another pivotal moment arrived when he accepted a position in Kampala, Uganda. Together with his wife Annette, he boarded a V.C.10 bound for East Africa, leaving behind familiarity for a life of vivid, sometimes volatile, adventure.
Over two tours in Uganda, Colin experienced the region’s vibrancy and volatility, witnessing the wild beauty of African wildlife as well as the social unrest that brought curfews and uncertainty. On returning to the UK, he settled in Gorleston and later worked in East Anglia before being offered a post in the fast-growing North Sea oil industry with Comex Diving. The role ultimately returned him to Aberdeen, the city he thought he had left behind for good.
A Spiritual Awakening in the Granite City
Back in Aberdeen, amid professional success, Colin underwent a personal transformation. It was here that he became a committed Christian, not through upbringing but through soul-searching. His journey was not instant or easy. He wrestled with questions, emotions, and unresolved pain. But out of that struggle came a calling far greater than accounting.
Colin began to counsel others, leaning heavily on the teachings of the Bible. In 1980, he formally trained for five years, earning a diploma in Christian counselling. His ministry was grounded in empathy, forged from his healing. It was not clinical but spiritual, an expression of God’s power to restore the wounded heart.
A Call to Macedonia and Beyond
Everything changed again when his counselling supervisor took a phone call from the Institute of Christian Counsellors. Christians in Macedonia were requesting urgent help for refugees displaced by the Kosovo conflict. Colin’s response was immediate: “Send me!”
With Annette’s cautious support, Colin flew to Macedonia, accompanied briefly by a representative from World in Need. But when the war ended shortly after their arrival, his companion returned to England, leaving Colin alone in the small town of Štip. Mistaken for a high-profile preacher by a local pastor, Colin was sent to teach in scattered towns across the country.
This unexpected venture became a decade-long ministry. He trained hundreds in Christian counselling and offered support in India, Ethiopia, and Bulgaria as well. His work helped to rebuild broken lives in communities that had endured war, trauma, and displacement.
Grief, Reflection, and the Birth of an Author
Eventually, Annette’s declining health brought their travels to a close. Then came Covid lockdowns, which ended local ministry as well. But even as the world shut down, a new chapter quietly opened.
In 2015, after decades of believing he “wasn’t good at writing,” Colin overcame his early hesitations and published his first book:
Scriptural Healing and Wholeness is a powerful and biblically rooted guide for those dealing with emotional wounds, spiritual confusion, or life’s more difficult valleys. Only 250 copies were printed, but for those who read it, the book became a quiet revolution, offering insight and encouragement rooted in scripture and lived experience.
It was a practical guide for Christian counsellors and hurting individuals alike, showing how the Bible’s wisdom could provide genuine healing in a world full of quick fixes and surface solutions.
A Curious Question Sparks a Second Book
In September 2024, Annette Colin’s wife of 61 years, died after a long and painful battle with dementia. The loss was devastating. Still raw with grief ten weeks later, Colin had a brief, unexpected conversation with his cleaning lady.
“Colin, are you quite sure you’ll see Annette again one day?” she asked.
That gentle but probing question stirred something in him. Coupled with the image of a small wooden rhinoceros sitting nearby, it planted a seed in his heart. A few scribbled thoughts became pages, and eventually, pages became a manuscript. Thus, his second book was born:
Where Did the Second Monkey Come From?
At first glance, the title seems playful, quirky, even. But its purpose is serious. The book challenges the scientific assumptions popularised by Charles Darwin and visually reinforced by Zallinger’s iconic illustration of evolution. Colin argues that the biblical account of creation offers a more truthful, soul-resonant origin story, one that places humanity not as an accident but as a deliberate
act of divine creation.
Challenging Ideas, Inviting Belief
Where Did the Second Monkey Come From? is not a dry theological critique. It’s a heartfelt invitation to think. To wonder. To challenge the framework that underpins much of modern culture. And ultimately, to rediscover the God who created us not from chaos but with intention and care.
Colin believes God’s hand was upon the writing of this book. There were days he felt the words were not his own, that he was transcribing divine inspiration. “God even woke me up in the mornings with fresh ideas,” he reflects. “He was very near during the writing.”
A Voice for the Searching
Colin Neave’s purpose as an author is not to instruct from a pedestal but to walk alongside the reader. Whether it’s helping them overcome personal trauma through Scriptural Healing and Wholeness or provoking deep thought about our origins in Where Did the Second Monkey Come From?, his message remains consistent: healing is real, truth matters, and Christ is the cornerstone of both.
His ideal reader is anyone searching for something more, someone who feels the hollowness of modern life and wants to know if there’s something deeper. His prayer is that through his books, men and women would find hope, faith, and salvation in Jesus Christ.
Legacy, Loss, and Eternal Hope
At 85, Colin Neave isn’t writing for attention or accolades. He’s writing to witness to pass on what he’s learned, survived, and believed. His books are a testimony, not just to the Christian faith, but to the God who sustained him through bombs, boardrooms, mission fields, and mourning.
As the world continues to search for truth in the noise, Colin’s quiet wisdom rings clear: “The something you’re looking for… is God.”
