Janet Makinde

Janet Adenike Makinde began serving as a chaplain with Baptist Health System after completing her CPE Residency in August 2025. Originally from Nigeria, Janet brings 42 years of ministry experience as a Catholic Sister with the Sisters of St. Louis, having made her perpetual vows in 1991.

Janet's extensive background includes service as a teacher, hospital administrator, nurse, midwife, social worker and caregiver. Throughout her nursing career, she discovered a deep compassion for the critically ill, dying, bereaved patients and their families, which led her to pursue Clinical Pastoral Education.

The CPE program profoundly shaped Janet's approach to ministry, moving her beyond theological understanding to engage with the raw human experience. She describes her philosophy of care as rooted in the belief that "no religion is greater than kindness, no scripture is deeper than compassion, no ritual is holier than love. I am defined by the way I treat others, to be a good human being requires a heart that chooses empathy over ego, forgiveness over anger, and service over selfishness.”

Janet is fluent in Hausa and Yoruba and speaks some Igbo, the three major languages of Nigeria, allowing her to serve diverse patient populations with cultural sensitivity and understanding.