[Steely Glen]

If I were you, I'd check out Craigslist in your area. For your budget, you have a lot of options in the used market. You may be able to get a Taylor 1 series or even 2 series w/ the ES at the upper limit of your price range. Yamahas will also give you a lot of bang for your buck. Recording Kings get a lot of positive reviews 'round here.

Here's what I can say from my herd, which I use in my ministry as well.

A Seagull S6 w/ a pickup would be very doable for 3-600. I have one of these and like it...so long as I don't look at the headstock. The cedar top is really soft and I have dug into it quite a bit over the years.

Takamines are easy to come by on CL in my area...don't know about yours. I have a G series which sounds underwhelming for a jumbo until you plug it in. It sounds amazing through an amp/PA. I believe this is typical for Taks in that price range, but if you're playing plugged in, it shouldn't matter.

A Breedlove Atlas series would also be doable at the upper limits of your budget. In the same broad sonic category of a Taylor (the founders of the company were employees of Bob Taylor and in the first days, did warranty work for Taylor to pay the bills while they were getting established). Great acoustic or plugged in. Solid tops on all, some with solid backs as well. Shane Barnard uses the higher end models in the P&W scene, if you're familiar w/ him. Try to find one with the LR Baggs Stage Element pickup, if you can. IMHO, they are superior to the older Fishman Classic IV.

Just my $0.02.