Chris Brain, a 69-year-old former Church of England vicar, has been found guilty of rape and multiple sexual assaults involving members of his congregation. Brain led the Sheffield-based Nine O’Clock Service (NOS), a group described during the trial as having cult-like characteristics. The verdict follows allegations of abuse dating back to the 1980s and 1990s.

Jurors convicted Brain of one count of rape and four counts of sexual assault against three women who attended the NOS. The court heard that Brain exploited his position of authority to manipulate and abuse those under his influence, including instructing victims to massage him at his home. Several witnesses testified that they felt pressured to comply due to Brain's standing as a charismatic leader seen as "the mouthpiece of God." Brain has maintained his innocence, denying the allegations and asserting that any sexual contact was consensual or did not occur.

This latest conviction adds to a prior guilty verdict handed down in August last year, when Brain was found responsible for 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. The combined convictions reflect a pattern of sustained abuse over many years.

Chris Brain’s involvement in religious music and community-building was central to his rise within the church. In the 1980s, he formed a Christian rock band called Present Tense and later established the Nine O’Clock Service, which attracted significant attention for its unconventional style. The group featured a cadre of young women known colloquially as the "Lycra nuns" or "Lycra lovelies," who supported Brain and his family. His approach garnered endorsement from senior Church figures, including then-Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, who reportedly expressed a desire for the NOS model to spread across Britain. Brain was ordained as a Church of England vicar in 1991.

Sentencing for Brain is expected to take place at a later date. The case has drawn broader questions about oversight, accountability, and the safeguarding of vulnerable individuals within religious institutions.