Chip Spier, minister of music at the La Sierra University Church, was senior organist, choir director, and minister of music at Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist church in Glendale, California for over forty years. He was born and raised in Southern California and attended Lynwood Academy, where he started lessons on organ with Stanley Ledington. Within two years he was playing organ for the Southern California Conference, providing music at its camp meetings and evangelistic meetings.

Following graduation from LA, he attended La Sierra College, now La Sierra University, where he majored in religion and biology. While at La Sierra, he was organist for the Collegiate Sabbath School and one of its vesper program organists.

Spier continued graduate study at UCLA, where he received a master's degree in physiology. He spent 32 years at Rancho Amigos Medical Center as a senior research investigator in pulmonary medicine. During this time he also did graduate work at Cal State Long Beach and received a graduate degree in handbells. He also continued his organ studies with Richard Purvis, well-known composer and resident organist-choirmaster at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

In his years at the Vallejo Drive church, Spier developed the Handbell Institute at that church and served as a clinician for the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. He has directed handbells for over thirty years and presently directs the LSU Church Bellwethers Handbell Choir.

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