A priest who spearheaded an evangelical movement in the 1980s and 1990s has been accused of sexual offences against former church members on several occasions, and he has been in court on these charges.
From 1986 to 1995, Sheffield’s “Nine O’Clock Service” was conducted by the Reverend Christopher Brain.
Brain faced a total of 34 accusations related to 11 women during his four-minute appearance at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
According to authorities, he is accused of sexual assaults against women who joined the movement.
Brain, 66, of Park Road, Wilmslow, Cheshire, is accused of 33 instances of indecent assault and one act of rape, all of which are said to have occurred between 1981 and 1995.
During the brief hearing, he stood in the dock with a glass front, dressed in a grey suit and a black top with an open collar.
He said his name, his birthdate, and his residence.
He was granted unconditional bail by District Judge Marcus Waite, who also directed him to return to Sheffield Crown Court on April 15.
On Monday, the court read aloud only the rape charge in its entirety.
The judge informed Brain that the other 33 counts will also be moved and that the allegation was so severe that a crown court judge should handle it.
Among the 33 counts of indecent assault are some that span several distinct claimed instances, including several that include claims of assault during massages.
Wearing a medical mask, Brain and his lawyer departed the courthouse.
Before moving to the Ponds Forge sports complex in the heart of Sheffield, the Nine O’Clock Service was first conducted at St. Thomas’s Church in the Crookes neighbourhood.
