Editing Friends of Man

{{short description|Christian denomination founded in 1919}}
The '''Friends of Man''' are a [[Christian denomination]] founded in 1919 by [[Frédéric-Louis-Alexandre Freytag]], the former Branch manager of the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[Corporations of Jehovah's Witnesses|Watch Tower Society]] since 1912. He founded a group first named the '''Angel of the Lord''' (this name was inspired by a verse of the Apocalypse), '''Angel of Jehovah Bible and Tract Society''', then '''Church of the Kingdom of God''' or the '''Philanthropic Assembly of the Friends of Man'''.

== History ==
The group began when Freytag started publishing his own personal views and sent ''The Message of Laodicea'' (''Le Message de Laodicée''), in which he claimed he was the legitimate successor of [[Charles Taze Russell]], to the [[Bible Student movement|Bible Students]]. Therefore, he was ousted from the Watch Tower Society by [[Joseph Franklin Rutherford|Joseph Rutherford]] in 1920.<ref>{{cite web |title=La Chiesa del Regno di Dio |url=http://www.cesnur.org/religioni_italia/t/testimoni_geova_03.htm |publisher=[[Center for Studies on New Religions]] | language=it |access-date=28 June 2009}}</ref> He published two journals, the monthly ''The Monitor of the Reign of Justice'' (''Le Moniteur du Règne de Justice'') and the weekly ''Newspaper for All'' (''Le Journal pour tous'').

In Italy, the first community was founded in 1946 in [[Turin]] by Sebastiano Chiardola.<ref>{{cite web |title=Freytag, Alexander F. L. (1870–1947) e Chiesa del Regno di Dio |url=http://www.eresie.it/it/id770.htm |publisher=Eresie |language=it |access-date=2009-06-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080221173353/http://www.eresie.it/it/id770.htm |archive-date=2008-02-21 }}</ref>

When Freytag died in 1947, one of his followers, Bernard Sayerce (1912–1963), a [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] schoolteacher, claimed he was his successor.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} Almost all of the 900 French and Belgian assemblies joined this new group which had a peak of 9,700 members between 1958 and 1962.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Le non-conformisme sectaire en France. Problèmes de recherche |first=Jean |last=Séguy |journal=Revue de sociologie française |year=1965 |volume=6 |number=6–1 |page=45 |doi=10.2307/3319649 |jstor=3319649 |url=http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rfsoc_0035-2969_1965_num_6_1_1837 |language=fr |access-date=28 June 2009}}</ref> In 1963, Lydie Sartre (1898–1972), who was named the "Dear Mom", then Joseph Neyrand (1927–1981) in 1971, replaced Sayerce as leaders of the movement, named "Amis sans frontières" in 1984.<ref>{{cite book |title=Des " sectes " dans la France contemporaine — 1905–2000 — Contestations ou innovations religieuses ? |first=Jean-Pierre |last=Chantin |publisher=Privat editions |place=Toulouse |year=2004 |pages=46, 47 |language=fr |isbn=2-7089-6855-6}}</ref>

== Beliefs and practices ==
The movement theology includes Christian doctrines of [[Restorationism (Christian primitivism)|restorationism]] and [[millennialism]]. Its beliefs can be found in Freytag's writings: ''The Divine Revelation'' (''La Divine Révélation'', 1920), ''The Message to Humanity'' (''Le Message à l'Humanité'', 1922) and ''The Eternal Life'' (''La Vie éternelle'', 1933).{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} The movement stresses the need to change the character of humanity by practicing the Gospel. Members believe that only 144,000 persons, who are the Kingdom of God's members, will go to heaven. They are [[antitrinitarian]] and believe in a sole God, [[Jehovah]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Le christianisme unitarien en France — une étude sociologique |url=http://barbeyphilippe.jimdo.com/le-christianisme-unitarien-en-france-une-%C3%A9tude-sociologique/ |publisher=barbeyphilippe |first=Philippe |last=Barbey |author-link=Philippe Barbey |language=fr |access-date=28 June 2009}}</ref> They are vegetarian.<ref>{{cite web |title=Églises, communautés et sectes, par Dr. Wilbert Kreiss — Les Amis de l'homme |url=http://www.egliselutherienne.org/bibliotheque/doctrine/symbolique/Symb_18.htm |publisher=egliselutherienne.org |first=Wilbert |last=Kreiss |language=fr |access-date=28 June 2009}}</ref>

In 1951 the movement turned increasingly to [[philanthropy]]: help for [[disadvantaged]], disaster relief and material donations for farmers.<ref name="ref">{{cite book |title=Des " sectes " dans la France contemporaine – 1905–2000 — Contestations ou innovations religieuses ? |first=Jean-Pierre |last=Chantin |publisher=Privat editions |place=Toulouse |year=2004 |page=48 |language=fr |isbn=2-7089-6855-6}}</ref>

They celebrate the feast of the Army of the Lord on 18 April and the feast of the little flock on 18 October. The weekly four meetings are largely devoted to study of the founder's writings. Baptism and the [[Last Supper]] are celebrated only within the Swiss branch, not in France.<ref>{{cite book |title=Dictionnaire des groupes religieux aujourd'hui (religions – églises – sectes – nouveaux mouvements religieux – mouvements spiritualistes) |first1=Jean |last1=Vernette |author-link1=Jean Vernette |first2=Claire |last2=Moncelon |publisher=Presses Universitaires de France |year=2001 |page=16 |language=fr |isbn=978-2-13-052026-9}}</ref>

== Organization ==
[[File:Amis de l'Homme in the world.png|330px|thumb|Friends of Man in the world]]
The movement was later under the leadership of Édouard Rufener, then Marie Roulin, then Mr. Kohli. An [[Elder (administrative title)|elder]] oversees a community.<ref name="Info">{{cite web |title=Sectes et nouveaux mouvements religieux — Association philanthropique "les amis de l'homme" |url=http://www.info-sectes.org/sectesgd/amis.htm |publisher=Info-sectes |language=fr |access-date=28 June 2009}}</ref>

The main headquarters are in [[Cartigny, Switzerland]].<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Religions > Mouvements chrétiens libres > Amis de l'Homme |title=Quid 2003 |publisher=Robert Laffont |year=2002 |language=fr |page=552 |isbn=2-221-09758-0}}</ref> In France, the national headquarters were located in rue Amelot, in the [[11th arrondissement of Paris]], with a strong influence in the south-west, before moving to Les Ormeaux, in [[Lot-et-Garonne]]. Every year, there are one or two congresses composed of speeches, artistic galas and concerts (e.g. at the [[Parc des Princes]] in 1948 and 1949, in Bordeaux in 1950 and in Toulouse in 1951). Regional meetings are also organized in European countries as well as in non European countries such as Algeria and Morocco.<ref name="ref" />

The 71,500 members are active in twenty countries, including Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, UK, U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Australia, but particularly in Italy.<ref name="Info" />

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

[[Category:Bible Student movement]]
[[Category:Christian organizations established in 1916]]
[[Category:Christian new religious movements]]
[[Category:New religious movements established in the 1910s]]