A historic meeting of the global United Methodist Church — one in which its future position on LGBT clergy and marriage was expected to be determined — has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Minneapolis Convention Center was going to be the epicenter of the debate, with up to 7,000 visitors from across the world expected to arrive starting in late April for the 2020 United Methodist General Conference. Methodist leaders, already alert to the coronavirus implications, last week announced that the conference would be postponed following a decision by the Convention Center to restrict gatherings to fewer than 50 people. For state Methodists, the majority of whom support LGBT inclusion, it means a critical denomination issue will not get a vote for the foreseeable future, nor will hundreds of other resolutions that were slated for votes at the convention, which had been scheduled for May 5 to 15.