A former evangelical priest has been convicted of 17 indecent assaults against members of a church group he led in Sheffield during the 1980s and 1990s.
Chris Brain, 68, was the head of the Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), a prominent evangelical movement that operated from St Thomas’ Church in Sheffield and attracted thousands of followers.
At Inner London Crown Court, Brain was found guilty of 17 counts of indecent assault following a trial that examined allegations of abuse spanning several years.
The jury cleared him of 15 further charges but has yet to reach a verdict on an additional four counts of indecent assault and one count of rape, with deliberations ongoing.
Brain, who now lives in Wilmslow, Cheshire, resigned from his role in 1995 after complaints of misconduct first emerged, prompting the Church of England to suspend the Nine O’Clock Service. The group was known for its contemporary style of worship, incorporating music and performance, but became controversial amid claims of cult-like practices.
The victims, many of them women from the congregation, accused Brain of using his position of authority to commit repeated assaults.