Our Founder

Walt Wilson’s passion for sharing the Gospel with the world was the spark that ignited Global Media Outreach. Walt pioneered the use of technology to spread the message of Christ. His visionary approach, which began in the 1990s following a brainstorming session at MIT, focused on using the Internet as a tool to invite people worldwide to know Jesus Christ and grow in a personal relationship with Him.

Ministry in the Military

Walt’s journey to ministry was anything but conventional. Growing up in the tough streets of Hell’s Kitchen, NYC, Walt was a self-described street kid. Together with his childhood sweetheart and future wife, Dee, he overcame numerous challenges. In 1955, Walt enlisted in the US Marine Corps before finishing high school, where he proudly served his country.

Decades later, Walt was invited to share his testimony with over 3,000 recruits at the Marine Corps Training Center in Parris Island, South Carolina. His heartfelt message of faith resonated with the young men and women. For nearly a decade, he returned every 90 days, ultimately reaching over 80,000 recruits—many of whom gave their lives to Christ.

Pioneering Digital Evangelism

Leveraging his military discipline, Walt transitioned into a successful career in Silicon Valley, holding executive positions at Fairchild Semiconductor, Apple, and Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC). It was during his time at CSC and a pivotal meeting at MIT that God gave him a bold vision: to use technology as “the next Roman Road” for spreading the Gospel. In his book The Internet Church (2000), Walt outlined the future of digital missions and the potential for the Internet to revolutionize Christian outreach.

In 2004, after collaborating with Mel Gibson on a website for The Passion of the Christ, Walt witnessed firsthand the power of digital evangelism, as that site alone led over 20,000 people to faith. This was the catalyst for the creation of Global Media Outreach, which now uses websites, social media, online advertising, and other digital platforms to present the Gospel globally.

Sharing the Gospel Worldwide

For the first 20 years of the ministry, Walt tirelessly pursued this vision. Under his leadership, Global Media Outreach has shared the Gospel with more than 2.7 billion people and witnessed over 300 million indicated decisions for Christ. His legacy continues to inspire generations of believers.

Walt’s love of his country spurred him to co-found Hope4America.us in 2023, doubling down on his passion to reach his fellow Americans with the Gospel. In the first eight months of the ministry’s launch, more than 38,000 Americans indicated they had prayed to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

As Walt often said, “We are the first generation in all of human history to hold within our hands the technology to reach every man, woman, and child on the earth. Our generation has within its grasp everything required to fulfill the Great Commission.”

Celebrating the Legacy

We encourage you to watch Walt and Michelle Diedrich, the CXO of Global Media Outreach, discussing how to reach the world with the Gospel. Though the video was recorded several years ago, the truths within remain relevant today.