A “Theology of Getting Fired”: What the Truth Cost this Nurse

Authors: John Stonestreet

Last year, Colson Fellow Ivonne Rivera-Newberry wrote an opinion piece for The Daily Wire titled, “I’m A Registered Nurse And I’m Sounding The Alarm On Gender Ideology Deception In Medicine.” In it, she described the lunacy that had captivated the medical field: 

Emboldened voices scream about the injustice of appropriation when it comes to racial and ethnic groups, but where is the outcry in defense of the appropriation of women, as if dresses and makeup are the sum of the female experience? To undermine women—those who gave birth to every group, every nation, indeed the world—through imitation is a great injustice. 

Ivonne ended her article stating, “I will not play the pronoun game or any gender-neutralizing tactic to mock a perfect design. I will not apologize for using the word woman. I am a woman.” 

Less than 48 hours after her piece was published, Ivonne was fired. At the time, she was studying worldview and culture in the Colson Fellows Program. Founded by Chuck Colson, the program equips believers to live courageously from a biblical foundation of truth and calling. When she received a request to meet with the human resources department, Ivonne knew what was coming next. Though many medical professionals commended her column and supported her stand for truth, her employer did not. So, Ivonne reached out to her Colson Fellows cohort for prayer and support: 

I needed prayer to help me stand firm and have wherewithal and discernment in the meeting. The prayers carried me and grounded me. Nothing about getting fired was pleasant. My solace was knowing that I finally spoke truth in a very public way, and it cost me my job, but the glory goes to Jesus. 

Ivonne is an example of what might be called a theology of getting fired. As cultural “norms” become more antithetical to Truth, and conformity is expected in more and more workplaces, many of us will be forced to choose. It may be that faithfulness for us includes a willingness to “live not by lies,” and that will entail losing our jobs, businesses, and social standing. Simply put, we may have to choose between our faith and our job.  

Standing for truth is a calling of all Christians at all times. It doesn’t mean we are always looking for a fight, or that every situation requires stubborn and loud resistance. But some do, and as the Church, we should make sure that no one who is called to stand is alone or unprepared.  

This is why the Colson Fellows Program exists. Over the course of nine months, Colson Fellows meet in regional cohorts, studying essential books on Christian worldview and culture, and learning through commentaries, articles, webinars, and videos. As they learn in community, whether online or local, they wrestle with what God might be calling them to in their time and place.  

The Colson Fellows Program isn’t a book club. It’s an intensive, curated program to help Christians lead as people of grace and truth. The program covers topics such as truth, gender, government, abortion, false religions, and vocation from a biblical perspective.  

Like Daniel, who purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself, we may all face a moment of decision. If your day of choosing between your faith and your job hasn’t come yet, it may be just around the corner. The good news is you don’t have to make that choice alone. Like Ivonne, you can have a community of fellow believers ready to stand with you. Read more stories like Ivonne’s and apply for the upcoming Colson Fellows class at colsonfellows.org.