OUR FOUNDER
Rev. Dr. Delores Yvonne James Cain
January 14, 1954 – November 16, 2025
Forever in our Hearts
Rev. Dr. Delores Yvonne James Cain was the Organizer and Pastor of Heritage Christian Community Baptist Church of Lutz, Florida. A native of Chicago, Illinois, she was the daughter of a Baptist pastor. Rev. Cain confessed Christ at the age of six and remained steadfast in her faith, confident in her salvation and calling as a saint.
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She acknowledged a call to ministry in 1993 and preached her initial sermon in 1994 at the Bible Based Fellowship Church in Tampa, Florida, under the pastorate of Rev. Arthur T. Jones and Rev. Earl B. Mason. She was licensed to preach in March 1997 at Beulah Baptist Institutional Church in Tampa, FL, and was later ordained and installed as Assistant Pastor of Beulah Baptist in 1999. Rev. Cain served as an associate minister for two years and as Assistant Pastor under the leadership of Rev. Dr. W. James Favorite for eight years, before leaving to organize Heritage Christian Community Baptist Church in 2007.
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In 2011, Rev. Cain retired as an instructor at the University of South Florida, where she worked in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy as a Master Trainer for the Child Welfare Training Academy. She also served as a private consultant in the area of child welfare, providing keynotes, developing curriculum, and presenting workshops throughout the United States.
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Rev. Cain earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Illinois and a Master of Social Work degree from Florida State University in Tallahassee. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Ministry in 2013 from Richmond Virginia Seminary, and in December 2014, she received a Doctor of Ministry degree as a member of the Curtis/Stewart cohort group, Preaching Prophetically in a Post-Modern Culture, from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
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Known as a Bible teacher, Sunday school instructor, women’s group facilitator, preacher, gospel soloist, directress, workshop facilitator, and soul winner, Rev. Cain was also a gospel-recording artist. She was featured on several Florida Mass Choir albums, as well as recordings with the James and Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She preached and taught in numerous denominations across the country, conducted leadership seminars, women’s conferences, and retreats, and faithfully delivered the gospel message. She was dually prepared to reach the lost through preaching and singing, proclaiming Jesus and the power of His resurrection.
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Rev. Cain often expressed her love for her congregation, famously saying, “Heritage members make pastoring easy.” Her life and ministry left a lasting impact on all who knew her.