About Us
Celebrating 40 years of service to the faith community!
Founded in 1968, the Interfaith Resource Center is a multimedia library dedicated to providing ministry support to regional faith communities. Our collection includes over 7000 resources for all ages, over a third of which are audiovisual resources. To accommodate those who are unable to visit us in person, we offer our on-line catalog with reservations made by e-mail or phone toll-free and routine resource mailing via US Postal Service. Our staff is available to assist you weekdays: Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, 9:00 a.m. to noon. Our summer hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to noon.
Our Director
Paula Hartzell has been Director of the Interfaith Resource Center since Spring of 2003. She holds a Master’s degree in Art History, a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education, and Graphic Design Certification. A former teacher & library assistant at the Missouri Special Education Instructional Materials Center, Paula says that this current assignment combines all of her greatest passion: faith, the arts & education.
For eight years she served as Arts Director for Grace United Methodist Church in Wilmington where she managed the Gallery at Grace and designed and executed numerous arts programs. She has served as adjunct faculty at several local colleges.
Paula is a member of the Diamond State Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. She is married and has two grown children and an adorable new grandson. Paula continues to offer courses to faith communities highlighting the relationship between faith, culture and the arts. For details on her offerings, please click on the “programs” link. E-mail Paula at resource.ctr@dol.net.
Our Library Assistant 
Sue Gierke joined the IRC staff in December 2007 and is learning the intricacies of the library and its database. Sue has worked in religious education for many years in the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington, including stints as director of religious education at St. Helena's RC Church and on the staff of the diocesan resource center. She currently teaches intermediate level CCD at Church of the Holy Child in Brandywine Hundred. Sue is married and has four grown children and two grandchildren.
Our Regular Volunteers
The Reverend Mary Browne (Charlestown UM Charge)
Anthony Grillo (Immanuel Episcopal Church, Highlands)
Don Hobson (Immanuel Episcopal Church, Highlands)
Joanne Thiebault (St Paul's United Methodist Church)
History
The IRC began in 1968 as an audio-visual library of the Wilmington and New Castle County Council of Churches. In 1971 the Council of Churches formed the Delmarva Ecumenical Agency (DEA), composed of fourteen Protestant denominations and the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington. The territory was enlarged to include all of Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The audio-visual library continued to grow under the new DEA.
Elaine Stout, who retired in 2003, began her tenure in 1976. Under her tenure the library began the Interfaith Lay Academy in 1981, a yearly offering of adult continuing education courses on faith related topics. The 24th Interfaith Lay Academy will begin on September 28, 2004. During Ms. Stout's tenure, the Resource Center expanded it services to ensure that every congregation could conveniently use the Center. In 1988, toll-free telephone number was instituted for easy access to its Wilmington home. IRC staff mail resources free-of-charge to those who cannot come in person. In 1997, the IRC launched a website with on-line catalog feature that allows patrons who do not live close to the Center the freedom to browse our stacks electronically.
When the Christian Council closed its doors in 1994, the Resource Center began the process of becoming incorporated as a non-profit corporation. With the support of the major denominations, the DEA Resource Center became the Interfaith Resource Center. In June 2003, the IRC moved to larger, handicapped-accessible spaces in St. Alban's Episcopal Church on Wilson Road in North Wilmington. At that time, Paula Hartzell became the new director.
In 2004, the IRC Board authorized the establishment of the Elaine Stout Fund, a fund designated entirely for the purchase of new resources for the IRC. The Elaine Stout Fund has raised over $7000 since its inception.The fund is vital in ensuring our pledge to honor all reasonable requests for special resource purchases. And since many of you have asked, Elaine still keeps in touch from her home in central Delaware.
For decades, the Interfaith Resource Center has provided educational and worship resources and opportunities to hundreds of local congregations. This ministry has continued to grow, thanks to denominational vision and endorsement, congregational participation and support, and the dedicated volunteers who have served unselfishly for so many years.
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913 Wilson Road
Wilmington, DE 19803
302 477-0910
800 336-6152
fax 302 477-0911