Into the wild

Nearly two decades ago, the Wild brothers’ lives as missionary kids began being documented on video. They never dreamed their childhood foray into film would one day inspire them to create their own Christian streaming platform.

But as the Lord opened doors, Morgan, Hudson, Kian, and Asher Wild faithfully walked through them. Now, the brothers provide inspirational Christian content through Wild Brothers TV (WBTV).

Hudson Wild spoke with The Stand about WBTV, how the four brothers got involved in filmmaking, and what they hope to accomplish through their work.

“It all started on the mission field,” Hudson Wild said.

Mike and Libby Wild, along with their four sons – Morgan, Hudson, Kian, and Asher – served as missionaries to an unreached people group called the Wano in the Highland Mountains of Papua, Indonesia.

Hudson explained that because his family lived in the jungle and were somewhat isolated from modern civilization, their home church back in the States began inquiring about what their life was like.

Hudson said they produced newsletters, but his parents eventually felt that video would be a better way to communicate how their family functioned and what day-to-day life entailed.

“So, my parents created our first video series called Growing Up Wild,” he said. “It was crafted to be a part of a homeschool curriculum, something a mom could adopt to serve as a missions moment during the school week.”

Though the Wild brothers were in front of the camera, Hudson explained that they were not involved in the production and crafting of the episodes.

However, they were able to witness firsthand the impact the series had when it was released.

“Different mission agencies actually adopted it as part of their training to show future missionaries what it’s like on the mission field,” Hudson said. “And we got to see the impact of media as a means for inspiring families to overseas missions.”

Wild adventures

When the Wilds hit their teenage years, the oldest brother, Morgan, felt compelled to create a reality TV series for their peers.

“We had just gotten back from an eight-month furlough in the States,” Hudson recalled. “We saw firsthand how our peers, teenagers, and young families were growing up disconnected from the Great Commission and [disconnected from] the grand purpose that Christ has in our lives – to play a part in seeing the nations reached with the gospel.”

Instead, Hudson said they witnessed a culture distracted with entertainment, social media, and pursuing self.

“American culture teaches us we’ve got to pursue our dreams, follow our hearts, and do what makes us happy,” Hudson stated, “but that is so contrary to Scripture.

“So, we thought it would be awesome if we could create a series that entertained and captivated but also inspired our peers to pursue the ultimate adventure in life, which we believe is following Christ wholeheartedly.”

That desire led to the production of Adventures in Creation, an eight-episode series that follows the brothers on jungle and island adventures as they explore God’s creation during their time on the mission field.

Answers in Genesis (answersingenesis.org) partnered with the brothers on the project by transferring their content to DVD and handling distribution.

“From then on, filmmaking was pretty much a hobby,” Hudson said. “We wrote articles, created short-form videos, lifestyle vlogs, and some documentaries.”

As the boys got older and the family moved back to the United States, Hudson said they all assumed the brothers would split up and go their separate ways.

But God had other plans.

Wild TV

“Believe it or not, a month after we got to the States, COVID hit, and everything was on lockdown,” Hudson said. “So, we kind of hunkered down and started doing college online; but we needed a way to pay the bills, and the Lord opened up opportunities for us to continue video production here in the U.S.”

Since each of the brothers have long-term ambitions for full-time, vocational ministry, Hudson said they initially viewed their filmmaking as a part-time gig. They are still unsure of how long the Lord would have them continue it.

“But every year, we commit it to Him,” Hudson said, “and He’s continued to open up new opportunities.”

As the family’s brand grew and people began purchasing their material – and requesting more – the brothers soon realized they needed to consolidate their content rather than keeping it spread out across various mediums.

“We were having to point people in five different directions,” Hudson said. “So, we decided to make our own platform to have one place to house all of our content.”

Thus, WBTV (wildbrothers.tv) was launched.

The streaming platform has a diverse genre of content ranging from stand-alone documentaries to episodic shows that are outdoorsy and adventurous. They also have content that focuses on archeology, apologetics, science, and more.

Much of the content is original to the Wild brothers, but they also partner with other creators.

“The body of Christ is diverse, and there are many other creators producing great content,” Hudson said. “So, if those creators fit our content criteria, we’re eager to partner with them.”

For example, The Torchlighters: Heroes of the Faith series from the Christian History Institute can be viewed on WBTV.

Wild engagement

Though WBTV is similar in many ways to other streaming platforms, the Wilds’ efforts to engage their subscribers and create a sense of community among them are what sets WBTV apart from the others.

Alongside the Great Commission, the Wilds are passionate about outdoor adventure. They believe it promotes new ways to appreciate God as Creator.

Through their platform, the Wilds issue monthly adventure challenges, such as finding a local endangered species. The Wilds first complete the challenge themselves, then they encourage viewers and their families to follow suit and video their own adventures.

The videos can be sent to the Wilds, and after review and approval, posted for others to watch.

“It’s a fun way to get families outside, adventuring together and making lasting memories,” Hudson said.

Also as a means of engaging others, the Wilds host monthly livestreams that include a Q&A time, updates, and news.

“Most people think of streaming platforms as a place they come and consume content,” Wild said. “But we wanted to have a community aspect, so WBTV is unique in that it’s a two-lane street, so to speak.”

Wild goals

Though the Wilds hope to provide entertainment through uplifting Christian content, that is not their ultimate goal.

“If you boil it all down, the heart of WBTV is to become a major mobilizer for missions,” Hudson said.

The Wilds hope that providing entertaining examples of families and individuals living on mission for Christ will inspire others to do the same.

“Our motto is that following Christ is the ultimate adventure, and we want to provide fun teaching examples of that,” Hudson said. “And though we’re not all called to go, we’re all called to play a part. So, we want to make pathways for families to send well and go boldly.

“We want to make people aware that God is doing great things in the world and inspire them to be a part of His grand mission of seeing the nations reached.”