November 14, 2002 | Read Time: 7 minutes
Clutching a well-worn Bible, W. Todd Bassett strides to the front of a small chapel inside the Salvation Army’s national headquarters during a service to welcome him as the charity’s new top U.S. executive. “I come to this position as national commander with a little fear and trepidation,” he tells the group of employees who have gathered. “But I understand it is a high and holy calling. As the Bible says, ‘Show me, that I may find grace in thy sight.’”
Commissioner Bassett, 63, preaches in Christian churches every Sunday and frequently cites biblical passages to illustrate how he plans to lead the Alexandria, Va., group. He says he has been “chosen by God” to take over the Army’s top post at a critical time for the organization that responds to the social, material, and spiritual needs of individuals.
Fellow officers describe Commissioner Bassett as direct and opinionated, but as someone who delegates well and tries to build consensus. Mr. Bassett says he does not plan to change much about the Salvation Army, which has raised more money from private sources than any other charitable organization in the country during each of the past 10 years, according to The Chronicle‘s Philanthropy 400 survey.
But in today’s poor economic climate, raising money has become more of a challenge for the Salvation Army, Mr. Bassett says. And like other charitable groups, the Army’s own assets have suffered recent stock-market losses. Although he has no plans to change the organization’s approach to fund raising, Mr. Bassett is looking closely at how the Salvation Army ensures that it has enough money to support its work across the country.
He also is reevaluating each of the charity’s activities to be sure they fit within the organization’s mission, and considering whether his top managers should use a firmer hand than they previously have in setting the tone for the organization.
Commissioner Bassett takes over the 138-year-old organization at a time when it faces numerous struggles over how to deal with changes in American mores. Among the issues: how to stick to the Salvation Army’s belief that homosexual behavior is wrong according to the Bible. The Army has faced challenges from some cities and states that say the organization has to provide benefits to domestic partners of its employees if it wants to continue to receive government contracts to provide social services.
Commissioner Bassett was born on an Indian reservation to parents who were career Salvation Army officers. He and his wife, Carol, also an Army officer, have worked for the organization for 38 years. Before Mr. Bassett was appointed national commander on November 1, he spent two years working at international headquarters in Britain.
In an interview, Commissioner Bassett spoke about his new position.
How do you view the Salvation Army’s mission?
Like one of my predecessors said, our ministry is like a pair of scissors. It’s got two blades tied together by the Lord Jesus. One is social and one is spiritual. If you take away one of those blades, you just can’t cut it.
I worked with a strategic planner one day, and he asked me, “What is your mission?” Our ultimate mission is that people will come to have a personal relationship with a loving God. To accomplish that objective, we need to focus on: How does emergency disaster relief play in? How do our community centers? How do our homeless shelters?
And I don’t know how we’re going to respond organizationally to the issue of domestic partners. The Salvation Army has never discriminated against people in the provision of service. But you can’t ask us to go contrary to what we believe biblically. You cannot turn your back on anybody in need, regardless of their sinful nature or their status in life. But on the other hand, you cannot ask me to compromise who I am or who we are as an organization. Because who we are is either based on Christian rule and practice, or else you begin to take away “salvation” from the Army.
How do you plan to deal with the issue of whether to hire gay employees?
As a moral issue, that is only one of many. We are going to find a way to drive our agenda, instead of letting other people. It’s an issue that we know we’ve got to deal with, but it’s also something we’ve got to explore in different ways than we have today.
There are certain jobs that will represent the Salvation Army that I would have to say to people, I’m very sorry, but you cannot be in a position where you represent the Salvation Army organizationally and practice a lifestyle that conflicts with who we are. And I don’t want to just get into gay rights. If an officer lives in adultery, commits fornication, or embezzles money, they’re asked to leave. Either we model what we preach, or we’re a contradiction.
How did the terrorist attacks change the way the Salvation Army will respond to disasters?
We definitely will be much better prepared. We’ve already conducted an emergency-disaster conference. We’ve worked with some foundations to get the funding for educational resources and training resources. We have got more trained personnel who will be there. We also recently met with the United Way and Red Cross to help coordinate our response better in the future. We know we have to have a means whereby those affected by a disaster have to tell their story only once, which means we need to be linked to each other. We would initiate it, the three of us, but certainly would want to bring in anyone involved in the process.
Do you think the federal government should do more to support and encourage giving to faith-based organizations?
My first response is to see that the people who receive support from government are served adequately. But in turn there needs to be a government provision for faith-based organizations to retain their identity, with the understanding that there is no discrimination in the delivery of service.
Do you see a need for more legislation?
It would appear to me that there needs to be greater clarification with regard to the constitutionality of rights of organizations like the Salvation Army, while at the same time protecting the recipients of services. Whether it’s legislation or clarification, it needs to be dealt with.
Do you have any plans to change how you publicize the work of the Salvation Army?
I can’t tell you how many times people have said to me, “I’m not sure what the Salvation Army does, but if you need help, they’re the ones you go to.” If people know that, what else do you need to know about us?
How about changing the way you raise money?
No, we think we’ve got it right. Why would we want to dismantle 25,000 local leaders and centralize it? While I may be able to raise millions, I’d have to create a whole bureaucracy that would smack of being the government in order to get that money back down to where it needs to be.
What are your plans for expanding the organization?
The Salvation Army has grown tremendously in the last 25 years, but we have grown at a pace where we have been able to maintain who we are and provide a level of service that wins support. One of the things any religious organization can do is to begin to run ahead of God. We won’t do that.
ABOUT W. TODD BASSETT, INCOMING NATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE SALVATION ARMY
Education: Received an undergraduate degree in history from Asbury College, a Christian liberal-arts school in Kentucky.
Previous employment: Spent the past two years serving as international secretary to the chief of the staff at the Salvation Army’s international headquarters in London. In his 38 years as a Salvation Army employee, he has held various jobs with the Delaware, New England, New York, and Pennsylvania offices.
Hobbies: Water skiing, cooking, spending time with his nine grandchildren.
What he’s reading: Reads the Bible for at least 10 minutes every day.
