This news story just won’t go away.

by Brooks Franklin
The Lebanon Democrat, January 24, 2003
Supporters of a Mt. Juliet church music minister facing federal firearms charges have established a website seeking donations for a newly formed defense fund.
Green Hill Church minister of music, Mark Lancaster, 40, is free under bond after being arrested earlier this month on charges of illegally possessing machine guns.
A member of the church, Brian Copeland, said he developed the website at the urging of other friends of Lancaster “to get the word out” about his case.
“It’s just an opportunity for people to tell Mark that they love him and that they support him,” said Copeland, who develops websites professionally.
Launched only Wednesday, the site is located at www.freemarklancaster.com. Many of its pages are still under construction, but already operational is a method for contributing to a fund being established to aid Lancaster financially.
Copeland said he has “spend some time” with Lancaster since his release following more than a week in federal custody, describing the music minister as “spiritually renewed” and in high spirits.
“He recognizes that at times like this you depend on God,” Copeland said.
During his incarceration Lancaster “got to witness to others in custody, Copeland said.
“To him it was just an awesome experience. Of course you don’t like the circumstances, but that’s not up to you, you let God use you wherever you’re at,” Copeland said.
The case has been closely linked in court documents to the church, with affidavits from an agent stating that a search warrant for Lancaster’s home was obtained based on information received from three people “associated” with the music minister through Green Hill Church. The agent also testified he met the three at the church early in the investigation.
Some friends of Lancaster have alleged that the ATF was contacted about his gun collection because of a church budget dispute which put him at odds with some church leaders.
Earlier this week a Lancaster friend who had been a member of the church’s congregation since 1982 flatly accused church leaders of orchestrating the charges against the music minister.
“This was done underhanded, to get rid of Mark…I guarantee you it was,” said Rusty Roberts.
He and other members of the church spoke out strongly on behalf of Lancaster, describing him as a dedicated music minister who continues to be well liked among the congregation despite the charges against him.
The leadership of the church has repeatedly refused to discuss Lancaster since his arrest. Numerous telephone messages seeking comment form the church officials have drawn no response.
Copeland, a member of the church for the past year, said he believes “caution” is the reason church leaders have declined to discuss Lancaster’s case publicly.
“I think caution is the word of the day,” Copeland said. “I don’t know what their motive is, but we’re less concerned about that than making sure the church follows through on what the Bible tells us to do in times like this.”
Agents seized 15 machine guns from Lancaster’s home. Some were described as World War II era weapons while others were said to be manufactured in recent years.
Though Lancaster held a license as a collector of curios, authorities said that did not entitle him to possess the machine guns.