UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   ARWOOD, ROGER M
   200 E JACKSON ST
   MUNCIE, IN  47305
   USA
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
   March 1, 2000
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   ###-##-####
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
   FRME
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director  ( ) 10% Owner  (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)

7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
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 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned                                                                           |
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1. Title of Security                       |2. Amount of          |3. Ownership    |4. Nature of Indirect                          |
                                           |   Securities         |   Form:        |   Beneficial Ownership                        |
                                           |   Beneficially       |   Direct(D) or |                                               |
                                           |   Owned              |   Indirect(I)  |                                               |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S>                                        <C>                    <C>              <C>
COMMON STOCK                               |0                     |                |                                               |
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<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Beneficially Owned                                                                             |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative   |2.Date Exer-       |3.Title and Amount     |         |4. Conver-|5. Owner-    |6. Nature of Indirect      |
  Security              |  cisable and      |  of Underlying        |         |sion or   |ship         |   Beneficial Ownership    |
                        |  Expiration       |  Securities           |         |exercise  |Form of      |                           |
                        |  Date(Month/      |-----------------------|---------|price of  |Deriv-       |                           |
                        |  Day/Year)        |                       |Amount   |deri-     |ative        |                           |
                        | Date    | Expira- |                       |or       |vative    |Security:    |                           |
                        | Exer-   | tion    |         Title         |Number of|Security  |Direct(D) or |                           |
                        | cisable | Date    |                       |Shares   |          |Indirect(I)  |                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S>                     <C>       <C>       <C>                     <C>       <C>        <C>           <C>
Employee Stock Option (R|09-01-00 |02-28-10 |Common Stock           |5,000    |24.6875   |D            |                           |
ight to Buy)            |         |         |                       |         |          |             |                           |
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
Roger M. Arwood (Confirming Statement on File)
DATE
March 3, 2000