U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                                     FORM 5

               ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

    Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
       Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or
               Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

[_]  Check box if no longer  subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations
     may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

[_]  Form 3 Holdings Reported

[_]  Form 4 Transactions Reported

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1.   Name and Address of Reporting Person*

  Connors                           Robert                  R.
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   (Last)                            (First)              (Middle)

  6610 Hazelwood Avenue
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                                    (Street)

  Indianapolis                         IN                  46260
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   (City)                            (State)                (Zip)
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2.   Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol


  First Merchants Corporation (FRME)
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3.   IRS Identification Number of Reporting Person, if an Entity (Voluntary)


  323-42-4518
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4.   Statement for Month/Year


  August 2003
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5.   If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)



________________________________________________________________________________
6.   Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer
     (Check all applicable)

     [_]  Director                             [_]  10% Owner
     [x]  Officer (give title below)           [_]  Other (specify below)

________________________________________________________________________________
7.   Individual or Joint/Group Filing
     (Check applicable line)

     [x]  Form filed by one Reporting Person
     [_]  Form filed by more than one Reporting Person
________________________________________________________________________________


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           Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of,
                             or Beneficially Owned
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                                                                                                 5.             6.
                                                                 4.                              Amount of      Owner-
                                                                 Securities Acquired (A) or      Securities     ship
                                                                 Disposed of (D)                 Beneficially   Form:     7.
                                                                 (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)             Owned at End   Direct    Nature of
                                      2.            3.           -----------------------------   of Issuer's    (D) or    Indirect
1.                                    Transaction   Transaction                  (A)             Fiscal Year    Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security                     Date          Code             Amount      or     Price    (Instr. 3      (I)       Ownership
(Instr. 3)                            (mm/dd/yy)    (Instr. 8)                   (D)             and 4)         (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
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                                                                                                  0
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*    If the form is filed by more than one  Reporting  Person,  see  Instruction
     4(b)(v).

Reminder:  Report on a separate line for each class of  securities  beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.

                           (Print or Type Responses)                      (Over)




FORM 5 (continued)

Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
         (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

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                                                                                                          9.        10.
                                                                                                          Number    Owner-
                                                                                                          of        ship
                    2.                                                                                    Deriv-    of
                    Conver-                    5.                              7.                         ative     Deriv-   11.
                    sion                       Number of                       Title and Amount           Secur-    ative    Nature
                    or                         Derivative    6.                of Underlying     8.       ities     Secur-   of
                    Exer-                      Securities    Date              Securities        Price    Bene-     ity:     In-
                    cise     3.                Acquired (A)  Exercisable and   (Instr. 3 and 4)  of       ficially  Direct   direct
                    Price    Trans-   4.       or Disposed   Expiration Date   ----------------  Deriv-   Owned     (D) or   Bene-
1.                  of       action   Trans-   of (D)        (Month/Day/Year)            Amount  ative    at End    In-      ficial
Title of            Deriv-   Date     action   (Instr. 3,    ----------------            or      Secur-   of        direct   Owner-
Derivative          ative    (Month/  Code     4 and 5)      Date     Expira-            Number  ity      Year      (I)      ship
Security            Secur-   Day/     (Instr.  ------------  Exer-    tion               of      (Instr.  (Instr.   (Instr.  (Instr.
(Instr. 3)          ity      Year)    8)        (A)   (D)    cisable  Date     Title     Shares  5)       4)        4)       4)
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Employee Stock
Option (Right
to Buy)             26.60     08/26/02 A         A           08/26/04 08/26/12  Common   3,150*           3,150      D
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Explanation of Responses: *Reporting person was awarded 3,000 options on
August 26, 2002.

On August 13, 2002, the Board of Directors of First Merchants Corporation
declared a stock dividend payable to all holders of record of common stock on
August 30, 2002 of one share of common stock for each 20 shares of common stock
outstanding to be distributed on September 13, 2002.  Fractional shares were
distributed in cash.  Pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of First Merchants
Corporation's various stock option plans options previously reported were also
adjusted to reflect the stock dividend.

/s/ Larry R. Helms                                         January 8, 2003
---------------------------------------------            -----------------------
    **Signature of Reporting Person                             Date
    (Confirming Statement on File)

**   Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal
     Violations.

See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note:  File three copies of this form, one of which must be manually signed.
       If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.


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