<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0000950152-00-006480
<TYPE>8-K
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>2
<PERIOD>20000816
<ITEMS>5
<ITEMS>7
<FILING-DATE>20000906
<FILER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>RURBAN FINANCIAL CORP
<CIK>0000767405
<ASSIGNED-SIC>6022
<IRS-NUMBER>341395608
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>OH
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>8-K
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-13507
<FILM-NUMBER>717431
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>401 CLINTON ST
<CITY>DEFIANCE
<STATE>OH
<ZIP>43512
<PHONE>4197838950
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</FILER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>8-K
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>l83767ae8-k.txt
<DESCRIPTION>RURBAN FINANCIAL CORP.   FORM 8-K
<TEXT>

<PAGE>   1
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 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):
                                             September 6, 2000 (August 16, 2000)
                                             -----------------------------------



                             RURBAN FINANCIAL CORP.
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



              OHIO                        0-13507              34-1395608
  ----------------------------         ------------        -------------------
  (State or other jurisdiction         (Commission           (IRS Employer
        of incorporation)              File Number)        Identification No.)



                    401 Clinton Street, Defiance, Ohio 43512
               --------------------------------------------------
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (419) 783-8950
                                                           --------------


                                 NOT APPLICABLE
         --------------------------------------------------------------
         (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)



                         Index to Exhibits is on Page 4.


<PAGE>   2
ITEM 1.       CHANGES IN CONTROL OF REGISTRANT.

              Not Applicable.

ITEM 2.       ACQUISITION OR DISPOSITION OF ASSETS.

              Not applicable.

ITEM 3.       BANKRUPTCY OR RECEIVERSHIP.

              Not applicable.

ITEM 4.       CHANGES IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT.

              Not applicable.

ITEM 5.       OTHER EVENTS.

              On August 16, 2000, the Board of Directors of Rurban Financial
Corp. (the "Company") declared that Company shareholders of record as of
September 15, 2000 will receive a 5% share dividend and an $0.11 cash dividend.
Both the share dividend and the cash dividend will be payable on September 29,
2000. The press release issued by the Company on September 5, 2000 describing
this development is included with this filing as Exhibit 99(a).

ITEM 6.       RESIGNATIONS OF REGISTRANT'S DIRECTORS.

              Not Applicable.

ITEM 7.       FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.

              (a)   None required.

              (b)   None required.

              (c)   Exhibits.

                    EXHIBIT NUMBER                  DESCRIPTION
                    --------------                  -----------

                         99(a)           Press Release issued September 5, 2000

ITEM 8.       CHANGE IN FISCAL YEAR.

              Not Applicable.

ITEM 9.       SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES PURSUANT TO REGULATIONS.

              Not Applicable.


                                       2

<PAGE>   3
                                   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.

                                          RURBAN FINANCIAL CORP.



Date:  September 5, 2000                  By: /s/ Thomas C. Williams
                                             -----------------------------------
                                             Thomas C. Williams, President & CEO


                                       3

<PAGE>   4
                                INDEX TO EXHIBITS
                                -----------------


     EXHIBIT NUMBER                    DESCRIPTION                      PAGE NO.
     --------------                    -----------                      --------
          99(a)           Press Release Issued September 5, 2000           *

----------------
*Filed herewith


                                       4
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>EX-99.01
<SEQUENCE>2
<FILENAME>l83767aex99-01.txt
<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 99.01
<TEXT>

<PAGE>   1
                                                                   Exhibit 99(a)
                                                                   -------------


                                  NEWS RELEASE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
<S>                          <C>                   <C>                    <C>
FOR RELEASE:                 September 5, 2000

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:     Thomas C. Williams     Robert W. Constien    Sandra L. Stockhorst
                             (419) 783-8874         (419) 783-8809        (419) 784-4023
</TABLE>

RURBAN REWARDS SHAREHOLDERS WITH 5% STOCK DIVIDEND PLUS CASH DIVIDEND
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Rurban Financial Corp.(Rurban) announced that shareholders of record as of
September 15, 2000 will receive a 5% stock dividend and a $0.11 cash dividend
payable on September 29, 2000. Rurban's board approved the 5% stock dividend and
$0.11 cash dividend during the August 16, 2000 board meeting. "We are pleased to
reward our shareholders with cash and stock dividends as a result of our
consistent earnings performance," announced Thomas C. Williams, President and
CEO.

"Rurban investors have experienced consistent and long term growth of their
investment due to Rurban's long history of strong earnings, stock splits, stock
dividends as well as cash dividends," stated Williams.

Rurban Financial Corp. is a publicly held bank holding company based in
Defiance, Ohio and is located on the internet at www.rurbanfinancial.net.
Rurban's common stock is quoted on the OTC-Bulletin Board under the symbol RBNF.

Rurban currently has 10,000,000 shares of stock authorized and 4,140,718 shares
outstanding. The investment banking firms of McDonald and Co. Securities Inc.
and Sweney Cartwright and Co. are the primary market makers for these shares.

Rurban's wholly-owned subsidiaries are The State Bank and Trust Company,
Reliance Financial Services, N.A., The Peoples Banking Company, The First
National Bank of Ottawa, The Citizens Savings Bank Company, Rurbanc Data
Services, Inc. (RDSI), and Rurban Life Insurance Company. The banks offer a full
range of financial services through their offices in the Northern Ohio counties
of Defiance, Paulding, Fulton, Hancock, Putnam, Sandusky, Wood, Cuyahoga, and
Summit. Reliance Financial Services offers a diversified array of trust and
financial services to customers nationwide. RDSI provides data processing
services to community banks in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.




SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995
The statements contained in this news release which are not historical fact are
"forward-looking statements" that involve various important assumptions, risks,
uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Company's actual results
for calendar year 2000 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in
such forward-looking statements. These important factors include, without
limitation, changes in the economic conditions in the Company's market area,
changes in policies by regulatory agencies, fluctuations in interest rates,
demand for loans in the Company's market area, and competition, as well as other
risks previously disclosed in the Company's securities filings and press
releases.

                                       5
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
