How rapist priest exploited charisma to abuse his 'cult-like' congregation
Former Church of England priest Chris Brain has been found guilty of multiple counts of rape and indecent assault against members of his former congregation. Brain used his position of authority and charisma to exploit vulnerable followers of the Nine O'Clock Service in the 1980s and 90s.
Why it matters
The case highlights the dangers of unchecked power within religious organizations and the long-term impact of institutional abuse on victims.
Image source, BBC/Jon Jones/Nine O'Clock Trust Image caption, Chris Brain led the Nine O'Clock Service from 1984 to 1995
In the detailed written instructions given to the young women who worked without pay in the then-Reverend Chris Brain's house, there was a revealing demand.
The homebase team, as they were known, were to "do anything" the Church of England priest asked of them.
Routine tasks - assigned on a rota 24 hours a day, seven days a week - included cooking, cleaning, ironing, shopping, looking after Brain's young daughter, and walking his dog.
This housework was intended to free Brain for his mission of leading the Nine O'Clock Service (NOS), a radical congregation of hundreds of young people drawn weekly to a Sheffield church in the 1980s and 1990s by a fusion of rave culture, live music, environmental activism and liturgy.
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