An unwed, pregnant mother said she was fired from her job at a Virginia church day care center for not marrying her fiancé quickly enough.

Staples Mill Road Baptist Church in Glen Allen dismissed Apryl Kellam Monday after giving her an ultimatum: Announce a wedding date with her partner, James Coalson, or face termination.

Kellem and Coalson have children from previous marriages and are expecting their first child together in April, CBS 6 reported.

The church knew Kellam was engaged and living with her fiancé when she was hired in September. The staff also knew about her young daughter and her pregnancy, she said.

So the wedding-date demand came out of nowhere, Kellam said. While the couple intend on getting married someday, they want to do it on their time.

"I want to wait so we can have all our family and friends there and have a big wedding," she explained. "I just don't want to go to the courthouse and have someone marry us."

Kellam's refusal to rush into wedlock seems to be the only reason she was cut, she said: Just days before she was fired Monday, her supervisors gave her a glowing performance review and a raise.

"It hurts because I've grown up in a Christian home and Christian church my whole life," she said.

Pastor James Booth defended his decision to fire the pregnant mom, claiming an out-of-wedlock pregnancy violates the church's moral code of conduct — a pledge all employees are required to sign when they are hired.

Kellam said she never received such a document.

"We're not trying to be hurtful, we're just following our personnel handbook, which is rooted in our statement of faith and our biblical beliefs," Booth said, adding the church employs several single moms and unmarried women.

Kellem and Coalson are considering legal action, although a lawsuit may be tricky because of the separation of church and state, employment attorney Harris Butler told the TV station.

For now, Kellem is looking for a new job so she can support her family, she said.

"It is difficult knowing we won't have the paycheck to provide for our family," Kellam said. "The only one who can judge me is God himself."