Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church was established in 1900 when a small group of Ellendale residents gathered to worship and hold testimonial services in an old field house.

 

As numbers increased, the group moved to the Ellendale Colored School. In 1906 an adjacent lot was purchased for $25 and the first church was erected. A new sanctuary was built on the same location and dedicated on September 19, 1970.

 

A new multi-purpose building was added in July 1979. In 1988 Mt. Zion purchased the historical two-room schoolhouse (PS #195C) to house the New Hope Recreation and Development Center. The land behind the church was also acquired for the Mt. Zion A.M.E.C. Cemetery.

 

In 2005 a new parsonage was purchased on Sharons Road in Ellendale. Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, known as the lighthouse on Beach Highway, continues to serve the needs of Ellendale and the surrounding communities.