Public invited to celebrate late pastor's life

St. James AME Church invites the public to a celebration of the life of the Rev. David R. Allen Sr. at 7 p.m. today at the church, 516 North St.

Allen died in October in St. Louis. He was the longest-serving pastor of St. James AME church, having served for 12 years. He served the community as former president of the Cape Girardeau chapter of the NAACP, a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club, a chaplain for the Cape Girardeau Police Department and a member of the Downtown Ministerial Alliance.

Allen also assisted with the petition to have the Cape Girardeau School District protect and honor the national holidays of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day. He was also instrumental in "N It 2 Win It" program, an initiative to prevent the high percentage of minority student dropouts.