A Kingdom Built On Obedience

Nine years ago, Mark Varughese received a vision that was far bigger than anything he had ever dreamed or planned for himself, but it was his willingness to say yes to the God-driven plan that put Kingdomcity where it is today. It started with a seed of obedience, which took root, germinated, and grew.

Life in Australia was comfortable, but Varughese was plagued with the huge dilemma that we sometimes ask ourselves: “What am I doing with my life?”

He was only five years into his career as a lawyer when he arrived at the much-dreaded crossroads. “I was single back then, living a comfortable life in Perth, but I was a little bit lost in terms of purpose and what God had planned for the rest of my life,” he said.

Varughese didn’t know this at the time, but God already had big plans for him.

The Burning Bush Experience

He labels it the “burning bush” experience because it was such a strong, tangible encounter with God. In 2006, he attended a conference in Gold Coast, Brisbane and during an afternoon discussion, Pas Russell Evans of Planetshakers posed the burning question: “What are you doing with your life?”

So Varughese shared his dilemma with them, and silence fell upon the room as they perceived the presence of God in their midst. Varughese started weeping, and for the next 45 minutes, he was strewn on the floor while Pas Evans prayed over him.

“I remember getting up off the floor with the most profound understanding: that I was to move to Malaysia and plant a church,” Varughese recounted, his eyes shining with excitement. “I had this amazing, unforgettable experience. It was like everything in life suddenly became unclear, but this feeling was so clear. Whenever you have an encounter with God, the details are sketchy. But you know for sure that it was an encounter with God. You can’t explain it all, but you know He did something in your heart.”

He went to Gold Coast without an agenda, but he left with a powerful understanding that he was going to plant a church in Malaysia. Within a brief period of time, he sold his house in Perth, bid goodbye to his friends and family, and boarded the plane to Kuala Lumpur.

The Birth of Kingdomcity

In February 2006, the church started with just 12 to 15 people in an apartment. Varughese told them who he was and what he was doing. Word got around and the members multiplied. He didn’t do any marketing or fundraising – it was all God.

Back then, the church was called City Church Kuala Lumpur. Over the years, the congregation continued to grow until the church had to move across numerous locations before finally arriving at its most recent venue at the Luther Center, which today houses all 2,500 members across three services.

In 2010, Varughese and his wife Jemima christened the church “Kingdomcity” after a confirmation from God. It aims to bring God’s kingdom into different cities, and its culture reflects God’s culture, which relates to what Jesus teaches in the Gospels. The heart of Kingdomcity is to connect, empower and equip people to bring the reality of God into their world.

“The culture of Kingdomcity is the culture of the King. It’s as close to what Jesus teaches in the Gospels, which we call atmospheres,” Varughese explained. “Atmospheres are a good way of crystalizing those cultures. Jesus was accepting, generous, authentic, compassionate, had a prayer life, and He reached out to people. That’s the culture He carries, and that’s the culture He gave to us to spread to the world.”

Today, Kingdomcity has an estimated total of more than 7,500 members across its four churches in Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Phnom Penh and Singapore.