EXHIBIT 23.3


                         Consent of Independent Auditors

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on
Form S-3 of First Merchants Corporation of our reports dated January 8, 1999 on
Jay Financial Corporation, and January 15, 1999 on Anderson Community Bank,
relating to the statements of income, changes in shareholders' equity and cash
flows of those organizations for the year ended December 31, 1998, included in
First Merchants Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2000, and of our report, dated January 25, 2001, on the
consolidated financial statements of Lafayette Bancorporation as of December 31,
2000 and 1999 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31,
2000, included in First Merchants Corporation's Current Report on Form 8-K filed
December 21, 2001. We also consent to the reference to our firm appearing under
the heading "Experts" in the Prospectus.






CROWE, CHIZEK AND COMPANY LLP
December 21, 2001
Indianapolis, Indiana