Sheffield priest Chris Brain denies making church members “obey”

A former priest accused of abusing his role as the head of a cult church group to sexually assault 13 women has said he led “on consensus” and denied manipulation.

Chris Brain, 68, is accused of committing 37 sexual offences during his time with the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), an influential evangelical church movement in Sheffield in the 1980s and 1990s.

Prosecutors allege he used his position to abuse a “staggering number” of women followers, exerting control over their lives and ostracising them.

Mr Brain, of Wilmslow in Cheshire, denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault between 1981 and 1995.

Giving evidence on Monday, Mr Brain denied claims he had controlled members of the congregation or forced them to sever ties with their friends and family.

He told jurors at Inner London Crown Court he could sometimes be “overbearing” but that was just his “direct Yorkshire style”.

He also said he was “not often at the front of the congregation” and was one of several leaders in the NOS.

He said he had had more of a “producer” role, choosing the music, songs and lighting for services.

Asked by his barrister Iain Simkin KC if he had tried to start a cult, he said had not, adding that those involved were “completely anti-cult”.

The court has previously heard some of Mr Brain’s alleged victims told police they felt they had been “brainwashed” and “groomed” by him.

Mr Simkin asked the defendant if he made members “obey” or if he turned them into “robots” for his “sexual desires”. Mr Brain denied this.

Asked if members could work, the defendant said: “Yes, of course. Some of them had normal jobs.”

Questioned about his leadership style, he said: “I think most of the time I worked on consensus. At the time that’s what I thought was most considerate, making sure you take everybody with you.”

Mr Brain also denied having an extravagant lifestyle, saying he wore clothes that “everybody else wore” and he was “not money-orientated”.

Mr Simkin asked if he had “fleeced” others to pay for his lifestyle, and the defendant replied: “No.”

NOS was initially celebrated by Church of England leaders for its nightclub-style services which incorporated live music and multimedia and attracted hundreds of young people to its congregation.

The trial continues.