Language Use and Rituals in the Apostolic Church in Cameroon

Abstract

This paper examined language use and rituals in one Protestant Church with a Pentecostal orientation known as the Apostolic Church, in a bid to work out the language policy of this church. The data came from some 25 churches whose pastors, church officials, choir leaders and congregants were contacted on the sites of these churches. The instruments used were a questionnaire, informal discussions and participant observation, and the frame used was the structural-functional model (Kouega 2008). The findings revealed a number of interesting facts. First the main service in these churches comprises some 11 major parts, which are occasionally referred to by different names. These parts were found to be realised in two languages, i.e., English and French, with any information passed on in the one language being systematically translated into the other language. Pidgin English was heard in two main contexts, i.e., during Testimonies when low education church members want to share the good things God has done for their life, and then during calls for financial contributions, lest these low education people might take back home what they brought for the growth of the church. Once in a while, indigenous languages were heard in songs.