Pamela Harris-Young, photo by Zachary Moore
(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- On Saturday, September 19, 2026, the Cape May community celebrated the former Allen African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, now the Clemans Theater for the Arts and home to East Lynne Theater Company, at a special program titled "Allen AME: Our Stories, Our Space, Our Legacy." The program honored the enduring history and cultural significance of the former AME and was organized by the Allen AME Legacy Committee, a community-based committee founded in 2025 by East Lynne Theater Co. to help preserve, extend and share the history of Allen AME Church and its lasting impact on Cape May.
Composed of former church members, descendants, local historians, artists, educators, and community advocates, the committee was established to ensure the church's history remains visible, meaningful, and accessible for future generations.
Conceived as both a celebration and reflection, the afternoon event highlighted the stories, faith, resilience, and contributions of Cape May's African American community while recognizing the historic transformation of the Allen AME Church into a renewed cultural gathering space for East Lynne Theater Company and the City of Cape May. The program featured live music by vocalist Bernadette Matthews, a keynote address by Michael Clemmons, a public historian and docent at the Richard Allen Museum in Philadelphia, as well as a panel discussion titled "Faith, Learning & Belonging."
Michael Clemmons, photo by Zachary Moore
Allen AME Church was one of the Black churches that served for generations as a spiritual, educational and cultural cornerstone for Cape May's African American residents. Following a devastating fire in 2018, preservation advocates and community leaders rallied to save it. Today, the restored building serves as the home of East Lynne Theater Co. as the Clemans Theater for the Arts, which partnered with the City of Cape May to preserve both the structure and the legacy of the congregation that once worshipped there. The organization has committed to honoring the site's Black history through programming, education, collaboration, and community engagement.
The Clemans Theater is located at 717 Franklin St. in Cape May. For more information, go to EastLynneTheater.org.
The Allen AME Legacy Committee was founded in 2025 by East Lynne Theater Company to help preserve and extend the history of Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church and its role within the Cape May community. The committee is dedicated to safeguarding the stories, traditions, and cultural impact of the historic church for future generations, members include Pamela Harris-Young (Co-Chair), Janis Washington White (Co-Chair), Ken Bose, Pip Campbell (East Lynne Board Liaison), Emily Dempsey, Leland Edgecombe, Chanelle René, Lynda Towns, Henry Wise, Becki Vance Wilson.
Members of the Allen AME Church Legacy Committee include, bottom row left to right, Becki Vance Wilson, Emily Dempsey, Henry Wise, Michael Clemmons; top row left to right, Ken Bose, Janis Washington White, Pamela Harris-Young, Pip Campbell, Chanelle Rene, and Leland Edgecombe. (Not shown: Lynda Towns.) Photo by Zachary Moore
Founded in 1980, East Lynne Theater Company has been named by "The New York Times" as one of the Top 75 summer theaters in North America and recognized by the New Jersey Senate and General Assembly as "one of the state's most important cultural treasures." In 2023, understanding that the American Theater is itself a growing work of art, East Lynne expanded its mission to "present and preserve America's theatrical heritage" by including plays about America today. As of 2026, East Lynne continues to raise funds for its Capital Campaign to renovate its new home, the Clemans Theater for the Arts at Allen AME. As the company expands into the Clemans Theater, so does its calendar, which now offers year-round entertainment that includes plays and performances from writers, actors, musicians, and more worldwide.
Saturday, November 07, 2026
@ 7:30pm
Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton, NJ
Saturday, November 07, 2026
@ 2:00pm
Algonquin Arts Theatre
Manasquan, NJ
Saturday, November 07, 2026
@ 2:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center
Morristown, NJ
Saturday, November 07, 2026
@ 7:00pm
Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
Carteret, NJ
Saturday, November 07, 2026
@ 2:00pm
Mayo Performing Arts Center
Morristown, NJ
