The Sociolinguistics of Language Choice in Nigerian Pentecostal Church Services: A Study of Selected Congregations in Enugu and Abuja

This study examines the sociolinguistics of language choice in Nigerian Pentecostal worship services, comparing practices in selected congregations in Enugu, South East Nigeria, and Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, to investigate how urban setting, congregation composition, and theological orientation shape language use in Pentecostal worship. Language choice in church settings reflects intersecting forces of ethnic identity, social aspiration, audience solidarity, and institutional policy, yet comparative studies across Nigerian urban settings remain underdeveloped. The study employs an ethnographic methodology informed by Fishman's domain theory and the sociology of religion. Data were collected through observation of 24 worship services, 12 in each city, supplemented by interviews with 20 pastors and 60 congregation members. Service recordings were transcribed and coded for language varieties, code-switching patterns, and the social and theological functions of language choices. Findings reveal that Enugu congregations deploy more Igbo in preaching and prayer, while Abuja congregations, reflecting their cosmopolitan membership, gravitate toward English and Pidgin as unmarked codes. Both settings use Igbo or Hausa strategically for intensification and authenticity in prayer sequences. The study contributes to the sociolinguistics of religion in Nigeria and recommends cross-denominational and cross-zone comparative studies to map the full range of language variation in Nigerian Christian worship. Keywords: language choice, Pentecostal church, sociolinguistics, Enugu, Abuja.