Where do sectarian Christian leaders get their authority?

Depends on who you talk to...the Catholics claim they have the authority back to Christ because of Paul. In many Protestant faiths, the authority comes from Christ via the Holy Spirit. Still others get their authority from their church organization or whatever organization printed up their certificate to preach.

Judging by what's gone on over the past 20 years in Christian churches, I'd have to say there's a lot of Christian leaders who have failed their authority test.

Most get their authority from their own Institutional Churches and Not Christ. Some have various degrees of the truth but not the whole truth otherwise there would not be a need for so many Churches. Yes, there are those that have received the laying on of hands and the Holy Spirit.It is by their fruits that they are known, Matthew 7:13-20.

Even here though, God's Church has very many problems if you studied the Chapters in Revelation 2 & 3 about the Churchs of God you will see what some of the problems were and are today.

Solomon said the whole duty of all of us males or females is to fear God and Keep his Commandments Ecclesiastes 12:13-14. Also to let your lights of truth shine on others, Matthew 5:14--20. It takes a lot of good faith and good works with God living in us, James 2:17-26, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.