As the oldest surviving congregant of the church, Dempsey said she is thrilled that the building will continue to be a place for the community to gather, albeit for theater instead of worship.

“We’re fortunate to have a mayor like Mayor Zack Mullock,” she said. “I’ve been here since 1936 and I’ve never seen this kind of work being done to uplift the Black community. I’m very proud of everybody that’s worked on this project.”

A small, unnamed side street adjacent to Cape May City Library on Franklin Street has been named after Dempsey on the occasion of the opening of the Clemans Theater.

Construction work on the former church is not over. There is no backstage area or any dressing rooms. What you see in the one-room church is exactly what you get, which makes it impossible for East Lynne Theater Company to stage plays featuring an ensemble of Actors’ Equity performers, whose union contract insists on a backstage area. East Lynn plans to build an addition off the back of the church to act as a backstage.

The theater company will continue to stage productions at Cape May Presbyterian Church and use the former AME church for smaller, one-person shows and cabaret. The first production at the Clemans Theater will be “Every Brilliant Thing,” a tear-jerking comedy with one performer, from July 31 to Aug. 30.