In the USA, there is no religious "authority". In the USA, there is no church "authority". In the USA, there is no Biblical "authority". This is precisely what makes the USA God's greatest nation, ever. Freedom. This was the 5000-year leap in human history. Freedom from stupid, evil people telling other people how they must think, believe, and worship, or not.
Ministers and churches can pretend to have "authority".
The idiot congregation members can pretend to recognize some non-existent "authority".
People can pretend all kinds of things, but pretending does not make them so.
Each person in the USA has the right to worship, or not, as he/she wishes.
Each person has the right to freely associate, or not, as he/she wishes.
This concept of freedom is terrifying to those who function at the mental level of livestock; and is even more terrifying to those who would exercise religious tyranny over others.
And thank God for the Liberty the church finally found in America. Not so long ago even in New England if you believed the wrong things about baptism, or which way the pews faced (hey it was a big deal back then) etc; you would find yourself banished to Connecticut or back to England. And the colony churches were much freer than the those in England or on the continent at the time.
The Anna-baptist are another good example as they faced persecution from both the Catholic and Protestant churches for many many years.