A former Church of England priest is standing trial before the Inner London Crown Court on one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault against 13 female members of his congregation. Christopher Brain, 68, allegedly committed the assaults between 1981 and 1995 during his leadership of Sheffield’s Nine O’Clock Service (NOS).
The prosecution alleges that Brain, who was ordained in 1991, transformed what appeared to be a progressive evangelical movement into a “closed and controlled group” where he systematically abused his position of spiritual authority. Prosecutor Tim Clark KC told jurors that Brain “sexually assaulted a staggering number of women from his congregation” by exploiting the cult-like atmosphere he created.
The Nine O’Clock Service began as an innovative evangelical movement in Sheffield during the 1980s, initially aimed at younger people with services featuring multimedia presentations, live bands, and contemporary worship styles. Named for its 9pm Sunday service times, NOS was held first at St Thomas’s Church in Crookes before moving to the Ponds Forge sports complex in Sheffield city centre.
Brain, who had previously led a Christian rock band called Present Tense, positioned NOS as a “progressive force for good” involved in community work and environmental activism. The movement gained national attention and was initially viewed as a Church of England success story, attracting significant media coverage and academic interest.
However, the prosecution argues that beneath this innovative exterior, NOS operated as a highly disciplined organization with vetted membership and strict “Discipleship Groups”. Members were allegedly encouraged to separate from family and friends, becoming dependent on the group and Brain.
The court heard detailed allegations about Brain’s methods of control within NOS. Members reportedly gave up inheritances, homes, and significant financial resources to the organization, with some contributing “large sums of money” while others were described as acting as if they were “in love with Brain”.
Central to the prosecution’s case is the existence of what was called the “homebase team” – attractive women who wore “lingerie or otherwise revealing clothing” and were known as “the Lycra Lovelies” or “the Lycra Nuns”. This group of four to five women allegedly maintained Brain’s home to a spotless standard while attending to his family’s needs.
The prosecution alleges Brain would “suddenly appear” in the lives of female NOS members, “often picking them up in his car whilst they were walking along”]. Women who failed to keep Brain satisfied reportedly found themselves ostracised from the group, with members becoming “terrified” of exclusion.
Brain’s fast-tracked ordination in 1991 allegedly marked a period of increasing “grandiose self-regard”. The court heard that **large sums were spent acquiring robes worn by actor Robert De Niro in the film “The Mission” for Brain’s ordination ceremony.
When asked about the difference between NOS and the Branch Davidians – the cult whose members died in the 1993 Waco siege – Brain reportedly said the distinction was that he was “accountable” to the Church of England.
The court heard that **one alleged victim described Brain as a “predator hiding in plain sight” who “would pick off women who he viewed as vulnerable”. Specific allegations include assaults following a murder mystery party and after Brain and alleged victims had been helping families identify bodies from the Hillsborough disaster.
Prosecutors told the court that when Brain was confronted in 1995 and told investigators believed he had abused up to 40 women, he allegedly replied: “I thought it was more”.
The scandal broke publicly in 1995, leading to what the court described as “enormous media interest”. Brain resigned from holy orders that same year.
Brain was arrested in April 2021 and maintains that any sexual activity was consensual. His defence reportedly characterises him as “not the Messiah” but “just a very naughty boy” – a reference to the Monty Python film “Life of Brian”.
However, prosecutors argue the women named in the indictment could not consent due to the “cult-like domineering nature” of Brain’s control. The prosecutor told the jury: “He was the central figure in a cult, he decided the rules, he designed the punishments. The defendant knew, as perhaps no one else in NOS knew, that these women feared ostracisation more than anything”.
Judge Freya Newbury warned the jury of nine men and three women that some evidence might “upset or perhaps even revolt you or touch a nerve,” advising them to set aside emotional reactions while focusing on their deliberations.
The trial continues.