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

                                     FORM 4

                  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).

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1.   Name and Address of Reporting Person*

   Johnson                          Norman                 M
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   (Last)                           (First)             (Middle)

   480 Adams Avenue
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                                    (Street)

   Glencoe                             IL               60022-1865
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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)


###-##-####
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4.   Statement for Month/Day/Year


04/04/03
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5.   If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)


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

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


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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
================================================================================


                                                                                                                6.
                                                                 4.                              5.             Owner-
                                                                 Securities Acquired (A) or      Amount of      ship
                                                    3.           Disposed of (D)                 Securities     Form:     7.
                                                    Transaction  (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)             Beneficially   Direct    Nature of
                                      2.            Code         ------------------------------- Owned at End   (D) or    Indirect
1.                                    Transaction   (Instr. 8)                   (A)             of Month       Indirect  Beneficial
Title of Security                     Date          ------------     Amount      or     Price    (Instr. 3      (I)       Ownership
(Instr. 3)                            (mm/dd/yy)     Code     V                  (D)             and 4)         (Instr.4) (Instr. 4)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                               
                                                                                                                          Trustee
                                                                                                                          Mary M.
                                                                                                                          Johnson
                                                                                                                          Living
Common Stock                          04/04/03       S               5,000        D     23.20     66,827         I        Trust
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Common Stock                                                   V                                 293,673         D
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock                                                                                      27,002         I        Spouse
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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 Response)                      (Over)

FORM 4 (continued) Table II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) ================================================================================ 10. 9. Owner- Number ship of Form 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- 4. Securities Date Securities Price Bene- ity: In- cise 3. Trans- Acquired (A) Exercisable and (Instr. 3 and 4) of ficially Direct direct Price Trans- action or Disposed Expiration Date ---------------- Deriv- Owned (D) or Bene- 1. of action Code of(D) (Month/Day/Year) Amount ative at End In- ficial Title of Deriv- Date (Instr. (Instr. 3, ---------------- or Secur- of direct Owner- Derivative ative (Month/ 8) 4 and 5) Date Expira- Number ity Month (I) ship Security Secur- Day/ ------ ------------ Exer- tion of (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. (Instr. 3) ity Year) Code V (A) (D) cisable Date Title Shares 5) 4) 4) 4) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Non-Employee Director Stock Option (Right to Buy) 6,395 D - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ==================================================================================================================================== /s/ Larry R. Helms April 4, 2003 - --------------------------------------------- ----------------------- **Signature of Reporting Person Date Norman M. Johnson (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. Page 2