UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549




                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                         ______________________________

        DATE OF REPORT (Date of earliest event reported): April 23, 2004

                         ______________________________

                           FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                         _______________________________

                                     INDIANA

                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

0-17071                                                  35-1544218
(Commission File Number)                       (IRS Employer Identification No.)

200 East Jackson Street
P.O. Box 792
Muncie, Indiana                                          47305-2814
(Address of principal executive offices)                 (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (765) 747-1500

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Item 7.           Financial Statements and Exhibits.

                           (a)      Not Applicable.

                           (b)      Not Applicable.

                           (c)      (99) Press Release dated April 23, 2004.

Item 9.           Other Events and Regulation FD Disclosure.

         On April  23, 2004, First  Merchants  Corporation  (the  "Corporation")
announced its intention to merge two (2) of its wholly-owned  subsidiaries:  The
Randolph County Bank, National Association and The Union County National Bank of
Liberty.  The resulting  financial  institution will be named "Union Communities
National Bank." The  Corporation  intends to complete the merger by December 31,
2004.  A copy of the press  release is attached as Exhibit 99 to this report and
is furnished pursuant to Regulation FD.

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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

DATE:  April 27, 2004.

                                      FIRST MERCHANTS CORPORATION


                                      By:/s/ Larry R. Helms
                                         _______________________________________
                                           Larry R. Helms,
                                           Senior Vice President

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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


         (99)     Press Release dated April 23, 2004.

<PAGE>



N / E / W / S     R / E / L / E / A / S / E

April 23, 2004
Exhibit 99

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Randolph County Bank & The Union County National Bank to Merge

Michael  L.  Cox,  President  and Chief  Executive  Officer  of First  Merchants
Corporation,  announced  today that the board of  directors  of First  Merchants
Corporation  has  agreed to merge two  affiliates  by the end of the year as the
result of a retiring  president.  The  affiliates  to be merged are The Randolph
County Bank of Winchester and Union City, led by President James A.  Meinerding,
and The Union  County  National  Bank of Liberty,  led by Norm  Locke,  who will
retire at the end of 2004.

The resulting bank will have $290 million in assets and 90 employees. The bank's
name will be "United  Communities  National  Bank" in keeping with the spirit of
our corporate  commitment to community banking.  Meinerding will be president of
the resulting  bank. All  directors,  officers,  and employees  will remain.  As
always,  our philosophy is to keep a "decision  maker" in front of the customer.
Cox states,  "This  merger  reaffirms  our  long-term  strategic  objectives  of
preserving community banking while positively impacting our competitive position
in markets we now serve. We remain  committed to being the provider of choice in
banking,   trust,  and  insurance  services  to  our  communities."  The  United
Communities  National Bank (UCNB) will have offices in  Winchester,  Union City,
Richmond, Liberty, Connersville, Indiana; as well as Oxford, Ohio.

First  Merchants  Corporation is a financial  holding company  headquartered  in
Muncie,  Indiana.  Subsidiaries of the Corporation include First Merchants Bank,
NA, Madison  Community  Bank,  NA, First United Bank, NA, Union County  National
Bank, The Randolph  County Bank,  NA, First National Bank,  Decatur Bank & Trust
Company,  NA,  Frances Slocum Bank,  NA,  Lafayette  Bank & Trust  Company,  NA,
Commerce  National  Bank,  and Merchants  Trust Company.  The  Corporation  also
operates First Merchants Insurance Services, a full-service property,  casualty,
personal  line,  and  healthcare  insurance  agency,  headquartered  in  Muncie,
Indiana,  and is a majority  member of Indiana Title Insurance  Company,  LLC, a
title insurance agency.