The Rev. Lon Dring

The Rev. Lon Dring, 91, a Presbyterian minister who revolutionized the way houses of worship worked together throughout metropolitan Washington, died June 15, 2025 in Pompton Plains, NJ.
An innovative and charismatic faith leader, the Rev. Dring organized more than 120 groups spanning all religions from the suburbs and city of Washington into Interfaith Works, originally known as Community Ministry of Montgomery County. For three decades, the Rev. Dring led Community Ministry, feeding, sheltering and advocating for the disenfranchised. An early champion of Habitat for Humanity, he guided the rezoning and financing of affordable housing throughout the Washington, DC area. His leadership moved The Washington Post to proclaim him "the conscience of the community."
Born on April 16, 1934, to Lincoln and Margaret (May) in Oak Park, IL., Lincoln Selwyn Dring Jr. was an outdoorsman and athlete who planned to study medicine after graduating from Dartmouth College. Instead, his classes at Union Theological Seminary fueled his passion for social justice. Ordained in the Presbyterian church in 1960, he became an associate pastor at the Church of Good Neighbor in East Harlem. Active in civil rights marches, he occasionally was arrested for civil disobedience.
His activism led to his appointment as chaplain at Howard University from 1966-72. He became Executive Director of Community Ministry of Montgomery in 1972, expanding its food voucher program into the Manna Food Center, which has distributed more than 4 million pounds of food and serves 60,865 people each year. He was recognized as a Washingtonian of the Year in 1984 for this effort. A Rockville, Maryland housing project for senior disabled men, Lon's House, was named in his honor, as was an affordable housing project in Silver Spring, called Dring's Reach.
Among his many honors, he was most appreciative of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award for continuing Dr. King's legacy.
He is survived by his daughter, Cheryl Park Kupersmith (husband Michael Kupersmith), son David Lincoln Dring (former wife Karen Gstalder-Dring), grandchildren Oscar, Josephine and Adelais Dring; brother Bill Dring (wife Janet Dring); nephew Barton Dring (wife Peggy Dring); niece Susan Dring Wohlgenant and several grand-nephews and grand-nieces. His wife of 51 years, Janice (Farmer/Park), died in 2019.
A memorial will be held at 10:30 a.m. August 23, 2025 at the Rockville Presbyterian Church, 215 West Montgomery Ave., Rockville, MD, with a reception to follow. Donations may be made to the Bernie Scholarship Awards Program, Habitat for Humanity, Interfaith Works, or Manna Food.