Zhang Chongzhu frequently spoke out against the ongoing persecution of Christians in the country, reports China Aid. 
 
Some churchgoers also suggested that Zhang might have been singled out and arrested for meeting with a U.S. diplomat in Shanghai last year.
 
In 2013, Communist party officials began a campaign to take down hundreds of rooftop crosses and churches. The government claims it is targeting places that violate building codes and deems rooftop crosses as unsafe. 
 
Since 2014, authorities across Zhejiang province have demolished more than 2,000 church crosses.
 
Zhang whose Three-Self Patriotic Movement Church is in the Zhejiang province was reportedly taken into custody on September 8, 2015. He was charged with "stealing, spying, buying, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence to entities outside China." This is a common accusation against those who challenge the Communist regime, reports China Aid. 
 
Although China allows state-run churches to operate, it has not spared even the highest ranking pastors from prison if they speak or act out against the Communist Party.

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