A Portage Life in the Spotlight: Wayne Antusas

As a teenager, Wayne Antusas was wrongly accused of a crime and ultimately sentenced to life in prison without parole. Now at 47 years old, Antusas is helping men currently in prison and formerly imprisoned change their own lives. 

“For 23 years and two days, I spent time in prison,” said Antusas. “I did 16 years in Menard Maximum Security Penitentiary, two years in Stateville Maximum Security Penitentiary, one year in Cook County Jail, one year in Lawrence Medium Penitentiary, and then three years in Dixon Medium/Minimum Penitentiary. ”

While in jail, Antusas surrendered his life to Christ and became a Christian. As his time in prison grew, so did his relationship with Christ. He led prayer circles, Bible studies, and the church service in prison teaching his fellow inmates. He baptized 30 men. Through Antusas’ witness, many converted to Christianity and gave their life to Christ. 

After 23 years, the Illinois State’s Attorney Kim Fox dropped charges on Antusas and set him free. Nine months later, he went back to court and won his Certificate of Innocence, which completely exonerated Antusas of all charges.

In a position where most would be bitter and even angry after spending a quarter of their life unjustly imprisoned, Anstusas was not. He used the situation and all that he learned about incarceration while being incarcerated himself to create Builder of Men Ministries.

“While I was in prison, Christ gave me my calling to start Builder of Men Ministries and to help men to become better husbands, fathers, and servants of Christ,” Anstusas explained. “Everything I was taught within those prison facilities, I now use to teach other men to become who He has created them to be. I feel that the time in prison was not a waste, although it was horrible and I shouldn’t have been there. It was God shaping me and molding me in the fire, so to speak, to do exactly what I’m doing.”

Antusas offers an extensive curriculum through Builder of Men Ministries, which he refers to as the Builder of Men program. The curriculum includes five classes: Fundamentals of the Faith, Celebrate Recovery Inside, Kingdom Man, Detours, and What on Earth Am I Here For?

Uniquely, Builder of Men Ministries not only helps men while they are in prison, it also helps them reacclimate to society. The programming focusing on reacclimating to society has become so successful, the organization is currently fundraising for a formal building to host such programming. Currently, Builder of Men Ministries partners with other community organizations to help facilitate this programming while they build out a formal place to house it. Once funded and built, this new building will be called the Builder of Men Transition Center.  

“Too many people look at people in prison as career criminals,” Antusas said.  “The truth is 80% of them are going to be leaving within three years. They’re going to be getting out of prison and becoming your neighbors. What I do is I go in and teach these guys that were high or drunk and did something stupid. I help them to get their minds right and their hearts in the right place too.”

To volunteer with or donate to Builder of Men Ministries, including their new Builder of Men Transition Center that they are seeking to raise funds for, you can visit builderofmen.life.