A former priest accused of leading an evangelical cult in the Church of England claims his followers gave him “sensual” massages to relieve his tension headaches as he stands trial for sexually abusing 13 women.
Christopher Brain, who led the rave-style Nine O-Clock Service (NOS) in Sheffield in the 80s and 90s, allegedly surrounded himself with women who wore lingerie or revealing clothes as part of his “homebase team” who kept his house “spotlessly clean”.
Jurors at Inner London Crown Court previously heard the women – sometimes referred to as “the Lycra Lovelies” or “the Lycra Nuns” – were on a rota to help maintain the home of then-Reverend Brain. This sometimes included helping him get to bed and performing sexual favours, it is alleged.
The 68-year-old denies one count of rape and 36 counts of indecent assault relating to 13 women in the church movement between 1981 and 1995.
Giving evidence in his own defence on Monday, Mr Brain – who was in a Christian band – admitted he became the unofficial leader of a Christian group known as the “Nairn Street Community”, made up of around a dozen people who felt they did not fit into a traditional church congregation.
This group later became part of NOS, formed after they heard “charismatic” evangelical American minister John Wimber speak. His preaching included practices such as “laying on hands” and speaking in tongues, the court heard.
Mr Brain admitted to receiving massages from women in NOS, Inner London Crown Court heard (PA Archive)Mr Brain agreed he would be described as the leader of NOS, a congregation which met for 9pm services “shaped around club culture” at St Thomas’ Church in Crookes, Sheffield.
He admitted he received back massages from women in the movement, despite being married with a young child.
Asked by his lawyer, Iain Simkins KC, “what on earth possessed you to have a back massage from another woman”, he responded: “Why not?”
He told the jury he suffered with “terrible” tension headaches. He said people in the homebase team, formed to free up his time to take the religious movement on the road, were “personal friends” and the massages were not part of their duties.
Asked if there were occasions where massages would develop into sexual touching, he said: “Very rarely. We were close friends, it might edge towards that.
“Both parties knew we should not go there. One would pull back again things would cool off. It worked, it was a really great way to have closeness with friends without having close sexual contact. And of course I was married.”
He said NOS was “on a journey, it was an experiment” and as they started to develop their own theology around 1990, some members became interested in tantric celibacy.
He added: “With some of my closest friends it would be kissing sometimes, occasionally massaging, stroking. Anything more than that we would back off.”
The former priest, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, insisted it was “completely untrue” that he made members of the homebase team wear a uniform after they were described as the “lycra lovelies”.
“I look back at photos of the time, to me they look completely normal for someone involved in the music scene at the time,” he added.
He also defended hiring the cassock worn by Robert DeNiro in the film The Mission for his ordination, insisting it was mooted as an idea because NOS members “loathed” traditional church clothing.
Mr Brain, 68, was leader of the evangelical movement the Nine O’Clock Service in Sheffield between 1986 and 1995 (PA Archive)He told the court he may have been “overbearing” at times as he led the art and direction of NOS services, which featured music and visual effects. At its height, the movement attracted up to 600 congregants.
“I think most of the time I lead on consensus,” he told the jury from the witness box, wearing a black suit and shirt.
“It’s also my character style. However when it got to music and direction I could be very direct and be very Yorkshire and straight and I think at times I probably was overbearing.”
However, he denied “brainwashing” or “exerting undue control” over congregation members.
Asked by Mr Simkin “did you turn them into robots to allow you to manipulate them for your own sexual desires”, he responded: “No.”
The prosecution allege NOS became a “closed and controlled” group which he used to “sexually assault a staggering number of women from his congregation”.
The former priest appeared in a 1995 documentary and made admissions to the filmmaker of sexual contact with a number of the female members of NOS, jurors were told.
Mr Brain, 68, who denies all charges, insists NOS was not a cult. He accepts that he engaged in sexual activity with some of the complainants, but that it was consensual.
The eight-week trial continues.
