Looks like typical "dog in the manger" stuff. All religions develop heirarchies, or at least have people who WANT to develop heirarchies (with the top of the heirarchy being occupied by the most deserving, ie, them). The moment you start listening to people who insist on this, you are lost.
If someone says that you can't be a Pagan because YOUR model of Paganism is different than THEIR model of Paganism, just walk away. Allow them to enjoy their solitude...Or worse, their sycophants. They'll soon learn that the leader of any cult (using the original meaning of the word) of any kind is its own special rung of hell.
In addition, they'll find, one fine day, that they've withdrawn under a blanket, where they can all smell each other's farts, as no new ideas can be permitted in a situation like that.
But not you and I. No, we do not need people to tell us what REAL Paganism/whatever is. We can cheerfully carry on Doin' It Wrong, and the world will continue to turn, and odds are pretty high that we'll have more fun doing it.
And, in the end, the only purpose for existence is fun.