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Bassett featured in online interview
Recently interviewed by Church Report Online, Commissioner W. Todd Bassett, former Salvation Army National Commander, spoke of his time with the Army before retiring and his new position as executive director of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).
Bassett explained that he took the position after retiring to invest his free time in something significant and because he believes in what the NAE stands for, “their values and their commitment to the united voice of evangelicals to America today.”
According to their website, the mission of the NAE is to extend the kingdom of God through a fellowship of denominations and churches, “demonstrating the unity of the body of Christ by standing for biblical truth, speaking with a representative voice, and serving the evangelical community through united action, cooperative ministry and strategic planning.”
Bassett believes the biggest challenge now is “the ongoing challenge that’s always there—our society has broadened and become far more pluralistic. There’s that need for Christians to maintain the biblical centeredness we historically have had, while a belief in God’s love for mankind defines the way in which we work through the churches that are affiliated with the NAE.”
Bassett is looking forward to dealing with important issues, such as the environment. Asked why he feels evangelicals should be concerned with this topic, Bassett said, speaking from a personal perspective, “it’s part of God’s creation…I believe that God made mankind stewards of all the earth, the living things as well as the inanimate things. For us not to use care or precaution in the way in which the resources of the earth are managed is outside the realm of an understanding of the book of Genesis.” He added that the NAE has not yet endorsed the creation care program.
In the immediate future, Bassett said he will be working with Leif Anderson, the NAE president, and members of the executive committee to establish the direction and vision for the NAE’s impact on society and culture.