The Sipe Family is a southern gospel group from Monroe, Indiana, singing together since 2000. John began singing bass with The New Quartet from Calvary Bible Church in Berne, Indiana, in 1990. After trying two or three different lead singers, his daughter Katie became the new lead singer when she was just a sixth grader in 1996. The New Quartet only did special music at the church and nursing home programs.
After about two years of Katie asking if she could attend a southern gospel music school, John finally agreed to take her to Dr. Charles Novell’s School of Gospel Music in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. That was July of 2000, and what John didn’t know was he would have to get up on stage with Katie and do what they called performance training in front of all the students and the instructors. The teachers, who were some of the top national singers in gospel music, would then grade students on their performance. Katie didn’t seemed to be to worried but John was a wreck, and there were a lot of prayers that were prayed by John before they did their two performances. After the Friday night concert a lot of the students and some instructors said they were really ministered to by John and Katie’s song “You’re Not Alone”, and because of that encouragement they felt called by the Lord to start a family ministry.
When they got home they recruited Katie’s younger sisters Jessi and Elizabeth to join the group and The Sipe Family launched their ministry at a nearby small church that Fall. The following year John asked his niece, Michelle Fisher, to join the group and her husband, Barry, to run the sound.
The Sipe Family’s motto is “sharing and living the Word through gospel music” and their music is intended to strengthen believers and point unbelievers to Christ. Audiences have witnessed that passion wherever they go.
They have been blessed in the last eight years to record two projects with Counterpoint Studios, sang at the National Quartet Convention afternoon showcase, had one national radio single release, and have appeared on Family-Life TV three times. They have just recently appeared on LIVE-WIRE Channel 44 out of Lima, Ohio.