From student mentorship to global online ministry, Wildsmith inspires others to connect faith with life
Alumnus Tim Wildsmith (music business ‘05) is currently living out his undergraduate dream as Belmont's assistant university minister and director of missions and outreach.
Wildsmith’s student experience was defined by the influential mentorship of Belmont’s dedicated staff members. From University Ministries to Towering Traditions, he fully immersed himself in the Belmont community, forming close bonds with the then university minister Dave Hunt whose mentorship profoundly influenced his path toward ministry.
“When I think about Belmont, I think about people,” Wildsmith recalled. “I would have told you when I was a college student that working in university ministries was my dream job.”
After graduation, Wildsmith returned home to Omaha, Nebraska where he spent the next decade as a worship minister. His path eventually led him back to Nashville where he got married, worked for a while on Music Row and then in youth ministry before life came full circle.
In 2021, a reunion with his former mentor Christy Ridings brought him back to Belmont's University Ministries, where he now guides students through the same transformative experiences that once shaped his own journey.
“I look back and think about my time at Belmont a lot,” Wildsmith said. “Particularly because when you're that age, it is a deeply formative time of your life but also because of the culture of Belmont. I'm now investing in other people because I was invested in.”
Whether helping students discover their calling through mission trips as a staff member or teaching freshmen about Scripture as an adjunct faculty member, his various roles are pieces of the same mission: helping people connect with faith in meaningful ways.
Find a Bible that’s right for you
In the last four years, he has used his YouTube channel to carry out this mission in a specific way: guiding YouTube viewers to find the right Bible for them. While finishing his seminary degree during the COVID-19 pandemic, a search for a graduation gift Bible led him down an unexpected path.
"While everybody was learning to bake bread and watching ‘Tiger King,’ I was doing a deep dive every day on Bibles," he shared.
After choosing his new Bible, he decided to post a video reviewing his experience. The videos quickly gained traction. Viewers encouraged him to make more videos, his audience grew and publishers even sent him Bibles to review.
"After years of being a worship leader and singer-songwriter, that video got more clicks than anything I'd ever done," he recalled.
Today, his channel has helped sell more than 8,000 Bibles through affiliate links, creating an unexpected ministry reaching people worldwide.
“I realized that I could help people through videos in the same way I do as a pastor when I help students connect the dots between their faith and life,” he said. “I can help people who watch my YouTube channel find a Bible that really draws them in and makes them want to spend time with it. Because the more time you spend about the Bible, the more it's going to influence your life and impact you.”
Bible Translations for Everyone
Through his channel, Wildsmith connects with thousands of subscribers across the globally who are both passionate about the Bible and who have questions. This online community led to his book, "Bible Translations for Everyone," available now.
Born from viewer questions about choosing the right Bible translation, the book aims to make complex translation concepts accessible to general readers.
“I’ve realized that a lot of people don’t know why they read the translation they read,” he said. “I hope that it helps people understand why they read their chosen translation. I also hope it clears up some misconceptions that are out there about certain translations.”
A university minister, YouTube influencer and now author, Wildsmith continues to guide others in finding their own way –– whether that's choosing the right Bible translation or discovering their calling in life.
