Church Missionary Society (CMS) arrival to Kerala
In the year 1816, the Reverend Thomas Norton, the first missionary from the Church Missionary Society (CMS) to India, after a voyage of 480 days, set foot at Travancore (presently part of Kerala) landed at Alleppey, hub of international trade on the south western coast of India. His work, for the most part, was amongst non-Christian people and particularly amongst the Jews. They spread the message of Jesus Christ through their involvement among various levels of the society, taking dynamic efforts in avenues such as education, medical care and literature.
The unwavering stand they took against oppression and the dynamic efforts to bring the marginalized to the mainstream have revolutionized the history of the land. The Diocese of Madhya Kerala of the Church of South India (CSI), upholds the heritage and legacy of the missionaries, as it celebrated the Bicentenary of the Missionary Advent in 2016, the Valedictory of which was held at Reverend Thomas Norton Nagar Nehru Stadium at Kottayam on November 12. 2016.
The Special cover issued on ( 12-11-2016, KL28/2016), this occasion features the ship in which the missionary arrived, a portrait of Reverend Thomas Norton and the logo of 200 years of CMS Missionary Movement. The special Pictorial Cancellation is a graphic sketch of the logo of the Church of South India and the slogan “That they all may be one”.