UPDATE: results of Assembly meeting here
During the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which began on Saturday, May 20th and will run until the 26th, a report will be how to study marriage equality in the church. The report will be presented by the Theological Forum, and asks the Church to apologize to the LGBTQI+ community “individually and corporately.” The report also asks the Kirk to consider its stance on same-sex marriage, which it currently does not condone. The report is “going to be asking our legal questions committee to see what the issues are round about allowing ministers to perform same sex marriage if they choose to do so, and equally for safeguards for those who, for conscience sake, feel that this is not something they can do,” says Moderator the Reverend Dr Derek Browning. Scotland itself made same-sex marriage legal in 2014. The Church of Scotland remains divided on the issue, but the report represents a step towards greater acceptance of LGBTQI+ people.
The Church of Scotland is not an Anglican church, but is Presbyterian. However, in February, the Kirk and the Church of England approved a formal agreement between the two churches, recognizing their long ecumenical history and parallel roles as national churches. The Church of England, of course, does not allow marriage equality, although later this year, the Scottish Episcopal Church is expected to approve marriage equality in its General Synod.