Title: ELCA Leaders Respond Generously News from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America May 21, 1996 ELCA LEADERS RESPOND GENEROUSLY More than 4,000 leaders from across the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have responded to the Vision for Mission Fund with gifts totaling more than $300,000. The Vision for Mission Fund provides an opportunity for individual members of the ELCA to make gifts over and above congregational giving in support of global and domestic mission. In addition to the leadership response, the Vision for Mission Fund churchwide offering was taken Sunday, May 19. Early leadership gifts were made in response to a special letter sent in March from the Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA. "Our ability to witness effectively as a church body, locally, globally, depends of the faithful stewardship of each member," wrote Anderson. "By dedicating our talents and sharing our resources, we can continue making an impact in the name of Christ, from Europe to Africa -- to the Caribbean -- and around the world." The ELCA's 11,000 congregations were asked to distribute Vision for Mission materials to every ELCA member household on or before May 19. In 1995 Vision for Mission provided more than one million dollars for support of global and domestic mission. [ELCA News and Information: 8765 W. Higgins Road, Chicago, IL 60631; phone 312/380-2963]