WALHALLA — More than 50 handy men and women armed with toolboxes and plenty of good will are embarking on a mission of love this weekend.

The army of do-gooders will converge Friday on the home of Cynthia Nichols in the mountains northeast of Walhalla off S.C. Highway 11 to begin a major renovation of the widow’s property.

Volunteers of a group called “More than Carpenters” will replace Nichols’ metal roof, upgrade electrical work, perform plumbing work underneath the house and in the bathrooms, replace outside boards and repair a back porch. The to-do checklist is so extensive that the group is planning to return Saturday to finish the job.

A new ministry of Golden Corner Baptist Church in Walhalla, More than Carpenters is patterned after a national ministry outreach called Carpenters for Christ.

Gabe Yoder, a member of Golden Corner, said Carpenters for Christ started out as a partnering organization for Habitat for Humanity. However, since its founding in Dallas, Texas in 1996, chapters of the organization added church building to its missions work.

Golden Corner Pastor Mark Bagwell said a group from Carpenters for Christ, many of them using up their vacation days, came to Walhalla in 2004 to help build the local church.

“We were inspired by Carpenters for Christ,” Bagwell said. “Our men have been going with them to build churches in Virginia, North Carolina and here in South Carolina.”

Bagwell said Golden Corner started More than Carpenters with the idea of doing more than just repairing a home.

“The Bible says we are commissioned to help widows and orphans,” Bagwell said. “We felt there was a tremendous need in Oconee County. There are lots of widows with house repair needs, but we also want to minister to the home and neighbors.”

Volunteers from other local churches are also participating in the More than Carpenters ministry.

Yoder said that area businesses have donated thousands of dollars worth of materials and tools to help the group do its work.

Earlier this year, the ministry renovated the Mountain Rest home of Ruth Parm. The group hopes to do at least two projects each year. For more information, call (864) 638-2332.