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Religion Report presenter, Stephen Crittenden (ABC Photo)

Archbishop Phillip Aspinall is among Anglican Church leaders who're publicly protesting the decision by ABC management to axe the weekly current affairs program, the Religion Report.

Archbishop Aspinall has told The Australian he's worried by the dropping number of journalists specialising in coverage of religion in Australia.

"The number of specialist religion reporters in Australia appears to be declining, and that is of concern to me as spiritual leader of Australia's four million Anglicans," Archbishop Aspinall said. "I hope the ABC will not add to that decline."

"I have written to the ABC seeking clarification on the future of the Religion Report and other programs in the ABC's religion unit," the archbishop told The Australian.

News that the long-running weekly Radio National program was to end was announced during Wednesday morning's (October 15) broadcast.

In an extraordinary move, Religion Report host, Stephen Crittenden, lashed out at the decision with comments during the program.

"The ABC's specialist units have been under attack for years, but the decapitation of the flagship program of the Religion Department effectively spells the death of religion at the ABC," Crittenden said.

"That such a decision has been taken in an era when religion vies with economics as a determinant of everything that is going on in the world almost beggars belief -- but you have to remember that just a couple of years ago they axed the environment program."

The decision will be "condemning Radio National to even greater irrelevance", he said.

Stephen Crittenden's comments don't appear in the transcript of the October 15 program placed on the ABC Radio National Web-site.

A further eight Radio National programs will be axed from the end of the year.

A letter writing campaign has begun to protest the decision.

In a letter to the ABC, released publicly, the State Director of CMS Victoria, the Revd Paul Arnott slams the decision, arguing he "cannot understand the decision to abolish the program at a time when, more than ever, we need an informed critique of religious affairs in Australia and our world."

"I listen to the program on a regular basis because it provides fair and independent reporting of both Australian and global religious affairs," Paul Arnott said.

"Is the decision a cost cutting measure?" Arnott asks. "If so, as a former ABC broadcaster, I am at a loss to understand why. From my regular listening I would imagine the program is low cost."