Sheffield priest Chris Brain denies making church members "obey"
Giving evidence on Monday, Mr Brain denied claims he controlled members of the congregation or forced them to sever ties with their friends and family.He told jurors at Inner London Crown Court he could sometimes be "overbearing" but that was just his "direct Yorkshire style".He also said he was "not often at the front of the congregation" and was one of several leaders in the NOS.He said he had more of a "producer" role, choosing the music, songs and lighting for services.Asked by his barrister Iain Simkin KC, if he had tried to start a cult he said had not, adding that those involved were "completely anti-cult".
'Not money-orientated'
The court has previously heard that some of Mr Brain's alleged victims told police they felt they had been "brainwashed" and "groomed" by him.Mr Simkin asked the defendant if he made members "obey" or if he turned them into "robots" for his "sexual desires", Mr Brain denied this.Asked if members could work, the defendant said: "Yes of course. Some of them had normal jobs."Questioned about his leadership style, he said: "I think most of the time I worked on consensus, at the time that's what I thought was most considerate, making sure you take everybody with you."Mr Brain also denied having an extravagant lifestyle wearing clothes that "everybody else wore" and said he was "not money-orientated".Mr Simkin asked the defendant if he "fleeced" others to pay for his lifestyle, and the defendant replied: "No."NOS was initially celebrated by Church of England leaders for its nightclub-style services which incorporated live music and multimedia and attracted hundreds of young people to its congregation.The trial continues.
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