Marilyn Stone didn’t take her relationship with God seriously until she survived a near-death experience.
Stone, an Oglethorpe County native, was driving on a rainy Saturday in Athens in 1986, when her Audi hydroplaned, sending her down a 25-foot embankment.
“The steering wheel looked like a pretzel because I gripped it so tight,” she said. “I picked glass out of my hair for months, both my knees were swollen bigger than my head, but I had no broken bones.”
When she went to check on her car, workers said they were certain she wasn’t the driver. They couldn’t believe anyone behind the wheel would have survived.
“It shows you God is real,” Stone said. “I don’t have any other reason to be here except to do His will.”
Stone has focused on serving others since that crash, from breaking barriers in local government to creating resources for those in need.
She was the first Black woman commissioner in Oglethorpe County, serving District 2 from 2000-12.
She also founded the Rural Outreach Center in Crawford, an organization that serves as a clothing closet, food pantry and information and referral hub.
Now, she’s reaching a wider audience through radio.
She uses her weekly radio show — “The Marilyn Show: Church Tea” — on WSGC 105.3 in Elberton to educate her audience about God and discuss the state of churches nationwide at 4:45 p.m. every Sunday.
She began the show after appearing as a guest on “Sharing and Caring” last Mother’s Day. Shortly after, the station asked if she would like to start her own program.
In the past year, Stone has hosted a range of guests — including Crawford’s Delbra Kendrick and her family on Palm Sunday — but one keeps coming back.
Her friend of 36 years, Karen Hitchcock, who lives in Hull, is a monthly guest. Hitchcock hosted a show on WXAG 1470 in Athens in 2010 and featured Stone as a guest multiple times.
“We always open the door for each other,” Hitchcock said.
Similar to Stone, tragedy has influenced Hitchcock to deepen her faith. In 2009, her daughter was killed by her ex-husband, who then ended his life.
“At first, my faith was very shaken,” Hitchcock said. “I questioned God. I asked him, ‘Why my baby?’ But I knew He was all I had.”
Hitchcock has been involved in outreach for parents who have lost children, and she uses her time on air as a platform to give listeners hope.
“I keep pushing so I can encourage someone else to keep moving,” Hitchcock said. “It made me happy that I was doing God’s will. My baby did not die in vain. I’m getting to reach who God needed me to reach.”
Stone said she is grateful for her friendship with Hitchcock and believes their relationship reflects the importance of fellowship in a Christ-centered community.
“Iron sharpens iron, and I like to have her on because when we get together, sparks fly,” Stone said.
She said friendships like hers with Hitchcock help keep her motivated to do God’s will and hopefully encourage others to seek similar relationships.
“A lot of our churches are not thriving like they used to,” Stone said. “Let us get back in church. Churches help build community, and to have a strong community, you must have a strong church.”