Listeners:
Top listeners:
-
play_arrow
Church of England Apologizes After Conviction of Evangelical Leader for Abuse
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
LONDON (Worthy News) – The Church of England has apologized after the former leader of a once-celebrated evangelical congregation in Sheffield was convicted earlier this month of sexually abusing women in his flock during the 1980s and 1990s.
Chris Brain, 68, who led the Nine O’Clock Service, was found guilty at Inner London Crown Court of 17 counts of indecent assault against nine women. He denied the charges. Brain was acquitted of 15 other counts, while jurors could not reach verdicts on four additional charges and one rape allegation. Prosecutors said they would “carefully consider” whether to pursue a retrial.
Brain has not yet been sentenced. Under British law, indecent assault can carry prison terms of up to five years per offense, depending on the circumstances. It was not immediately clear whether he plans to appeal.
Brain’s nightclub-style services, held on Sunday evenings, drew hundreds of young people at their peak. But prosecutors said he manipulated congregants, isolating them from family and friends, and cultivated a “homebase team” of young women who looked after him and were dubbed the “lycra nuns.”
The Nine O’Clock Service had the backing of the Church of England. His ordination was fast-tracked after meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury-elect George Carey, and the church even spent large sums to obtain the costume worn by actor Robert De Niro in the 1986 film The Mission for his ceremony.
Brain resigned in 1995 just before Britain’s BBC broadcaster aired a documentary alleging sexual misconduct.
“What happened was an appalling abuse of power and leadership that should never have occurred,” said Bishop of Sheffield Pete Wilcox. “Where concerns were raised in the past and were not acted upon properly, that was a failing of the Church. For those institutional failures, I offer an unreserved apology.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Investigations continued Friday after a suspected Islamist gunman opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University in the U.S. state of Virginia on Thursday, killing a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) instructor and wounding two others before he was subdued by students and died, officials said.
All six crew members aboard a U.S. refueling aircraft have died after the plane crashed over western Iraq, the U.S. military confirmed Friday, as fighting between the United States, Israel, and Iran continued to intensify.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran’s newly installed supreme leader is likely wounded, disfigured, and hiding underground as the Islamic Republic reels from the opening blows of the war with the United States and Israel.
Bible sales in Britain have surged to their highest levels since records began, reflecting a growing spiritual interest across the nation—particularly among younger generations.
A damaged Russian gas tanker is drifting unmanned through the Mediterranean Sea, prompting Malta to prepare emergency measures while tensions linked to the war in Ukraine spill into Europe’s energy and security landscape.
Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Gulf countries Thursday, the 13th day of the United States-Israel war against Tehran, with strikes reported in Bahrain and other states, sending oil prices sharply higher and raising concerns among foreign workers, including Christians.
Nearly 25,000 Christians, many of them impoverished sanitation workers and day laborers, face possible eviction from their homes in Pakistan’s capital after authorities ordered them to vacate two settlements within days, Christians familiar with the situation confirmed Thursday.
WHO WE ARE
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
CONTACT
- +1 908 280-4246
- Essex County, USA
- info@tnjrfm.com