Combining Duplicate Profiles (Versions 11.5 and higher)

Please note: This article applies to Versions 11.5+. Older versions of the software require a different approach to merging profiles. On Version 11.1 or prior? Refer to Combining Duplicate Profiles (Versions 11.1 and prior)

Occasionally you may discover two records within PowerChurch Plus for the same individual. This might occur if someone contributes as a visitor under the name James Smith and later joins under the name John Smith. In reality, there are many possible causes of this problem. And, luckily, PowerChurch contains handy features that simplify this process of combining these records without losing their contribution history.

1. First of all, use the PowerChurch Plus Backup feature located under the Utilities menu to make a backup copy of Contributions, Mailing List, & Profiles data. You may choose to backup All Data Files as an extra precaution.
2. Start by going to Membership > Personal Profiles and then Maintain Personal Profiles.
3. Locate the personal profile of the member you wish to merge into an existing permanent profile. Typically you will want to move the profile that has the least amount of detailed information entered.
4. After locating the desired profile, choose Move from the button bar. A window will appear with two different options. Select the Move to an Existing Family option. Upon clicking on this option, you will be given a list of existing families to pick from. From this list, highlight the appropriate family and choose OK. Finally, close the Maintain Personal Profiles screen.
   
5. Next, verify that the move process has worked by selecting Integrated Data Entry from the Membership menu. Use the Locate button to find the family you moved the profile into. Once selected, go to the Family Members tab. You should now see both profiles listed in this particular family.
   
6. Now, from the Membership menu select Personal Profiles > Setup and finally Merge Duplicate Profiles.
   
7. Once the Merge Duplicate Profiles window appears you should see two fields. Merge This Profile and Into this Profile. Start by selecting the magnifying glass to identify which profiles you wish to merge. Typically we want to merge the profile with the least information into the profile with the most information. Once selected, Click on Merge and Close to finalize the process.
   
8. When merging, there might be some conflicts with the personal information. Be sure to review those before continuing. Powerchurch will always keep the primary profiles information.
   
9. Finally, go back to the Integrated Data Entry screen and locate the family. You'll notice that there is now only one profile within this particular family. All the contribution history and personal information has been merged.