If a faithful Christian today lived in a place where the only Sabbath service he could possibly reach is one held by the remnant of Garner Ted Armstrong's church, or one held by the former WCG, does the principle of “assembling” (and fellowship) require him to attend there?  Obviously the greater spiritual meaning of the Church's Sabbath observance—appearing in God's presence where all His Truth is accepted and His government obeyed—commands such a person not to attend there.  Mr. Armstrong and presumably all the leaders of the splinter organizations would tell such a person that, with no other right place to assemble available to him, he must keep the Holy Convocation by assembling with his family alone.

 

People who actually apply this command today and keep the Sabbath in their families are of “one doctrine,” all “speak the same thing,” and the doctrine is God's because they follow all the Truth restored to the Church through God's proven apostle.  Thus they are still fully under God's government, which in Christ's apostleship (Heb. 3:1) did not die when the human apostle died.  This is not “every man doing what is right in his own eyes” because these people claim no authority to change what was authoritatively “once for all delivered” to them through Christ's apostleship (Jude 3); “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). In keeping the Sabbath these brethren function as a very isolated family did in Mr. Armstrong's time.

 

Head of a family is a recognized teaching and ruling office in the government of God. Under normal circumstances spiritually elder men supplement the authority and teaching of the human apostle/leader to the heads of all the various Church families (or individuals).  Historically, however, in certain periods and regions faithful supplemental teaching was not available to all God's people—due to apostasy, persecution, scattering, or a shortage of “laborers.”

 

Some of God's people at home today have such faithful intermediate guidance available to them, the vast majority are unaware of any.  If there is no proven spiritually elder man yet known to a family or individual, after diligent search, then Christ's authority runs directly through the teaching of the faithful apostle to the individual head.  Though physically separate—often knowing few others who worship as they do—all such faithful families, tiny groups and individuals are in spiritual communion with all other faithful Christians through the essential spiritual meaning of the Holy Convocation:  fellowship with God in the Truth.

 

Many of God's people today, represented in all the splinter organizations, harbor serious doubt as to whether the organization they attend is fully faithful.  Many expressly justify their chosen organization as just the best choice in a situation where all the options are compromised.  Such Christians believe they must “go to services” in an organization and “assemble” with familiar people, in traditional circumstances and arrangements; in effect they reason that purity of doctrine, though definitely desirable, is not essential if no organization offers it.