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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Two Birds Church submits its own information.

Two Birds Church: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies in Anna, Texas, USA

Two Birds Church is a registered Texas nonprofit church in Anna, north of Dallas, whose founder James Elrod leads its ayahuasca ceremonies with co-leader Christina Titus in a converted garage at the leaders’ home, per its own description. Its two-night “Shipibo-inspired” weekends take at most six people, follow a written medical screen reviewed by a medical consultant and a blood pressure check, and it has 71 reviews rated “Excellent” on Safe Ceremonies. Against that, it says there is no medical staff on site, both leaders drink during ceremony so no one in the room is sober, its emergency protocol is not public, it claims no DEA exemption, and its only negative review is hidden behind a disputed harassment claim (unverified).

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A private home on a county road in Anna, Collin County, Texas, USA, about 45 miles north of Dallas; ceremonies are held in a converted garage with separate men’s and women’s bunk rooms.
• Approach: A non-denominational church “rooted in modern psychology” serving ayahuasca in Shipibo-inspired ceremonies with icaros and English songs, plus kambo circles, cacao and sound journeys, courses and weekly Sunday services.
• Suitable For: People in North Texas who want a small, church-based ceremony with structured preparation and an ongoing community, and who accept the legal risk and the absence of on-site medical staff. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $550 plus a $100 deposit for a two-night ceremony, and $225 plus $100 for one-night ceremonies open only to returning members. The deposit is refundable only for a medical reason confirmed by its consultant, cancellations more than two weeks out are refunded minus the deposit, and later cancellations are forfeited, per its ceremony FAQ.
• Overall Assessment: Small groups, a written screen and a long-running community, offset by no sober or medical person in the ceremony room, no public emergency plan and no legal exemption. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Its Safe Ceremonies listing rates it “Excellent” from 71 reviews posted between 2020 and 2025, praising attentive, non-intrusive facilitators, clear preparation, integration circles and an inclusive community; some describe fear during ceremony and credit the leaders’ response. Several reviewers know the leaders personally, and a cluster was posted within two days in December 2020. One 1-star review is hidden from the page; in 2024 replies, the church and a member said it came from a person harassing the congregation, and what it alleged is unknown (unverified). No Tripadvisor or Retreat Guru listing was found. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and news for reports involving Two Birds Church, James Elrod, Christina Titus and Clayton Berger.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found. The 2024 dispute over the hidden review mentions no police or court action (unverified).

County court records were not checked and the hidden review’s content is unknown, so this absence offers limited assurance.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Elrod is the registered agent of Two Birds Church, a Texas nonprofit corporation formed in January 2019, per OpenCorporates; the church names him president, Titus secretary and Clayton Berger treasurer. Elrod says he completed an eight-week Shipibo initiation in Peru in 2010 under a teacher named only as Don Enrique and trained in kambo with Peter Gorman; both claims are self-reported. The church says its community has run since 2010.

Screening and medical support. A readiness form covers medications, heart and blood pressure, seizures, pregnancy and family psychiatric history and is reviewed by a medical consultant; medication changes go through a separate consult, often with an outside pharmacist service; and blood pressure must be under 140/90 on the day, per its preparation guide. Its church page states “There is no medical staff on site.” Its ceremony guide says both leaders drink, so “no one in the room is sober”, the room stays closed overnight in darkness with phones collected, and second cups are optional. Its emergency protocol is shared only in a preparation course for registrants, and no hospital route is published.

Status. Operating, with two-night ceremonies scheduled into January 2027 on its calendar.

Legal context. DMT is outlawed for most purposes under the US Controlled Substances Act, and only a handful of groups, such as the UDV and two Oregon Santo Daime branches, have legal protection for ayahuasca, per Wikipedia. Two Birds makes no exemption or legality claim, and a competitor’s directory states it has no federal exemption, so brewing and serving the sacrament at a private home carries legal risk for the church and attendees.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Its medication watch-list includes SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, stimulants and benzodiazepines, and it says it never tells anyone to stop a medication, but it does not state whether a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder excludes a guest. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca of Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, which the church says uses yellow vine from Ecuador with no admixtures and is brewed on site, logged, locked and served only in ceremony. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A rural home outside Anna, a growing town on US-75 in Collin County, per Wikipedia.
• Rooms: Mattresses on the ceremony floor and separate men’s and women’s bunk rooms; soup, tea and simple self-serve meals, with no meat on ceremony weekends.
• Style: A small, membership-based church with Sunday services, courses and a member app.

Practical guidance: No airport transfer is offered; the church suggests a rideshare from Dallas/Fort Worth airport.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you accept the legal risk. Ask in writing who stays sober during ceremony, who on site is trained in first aid or CPR, the emergency plan and hospital route, the name and license of the medical consultant who reviews forms, and how a history of psychosis or bipolar disorder is handled. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Two Birds presents itself as a non-denominational church “rooted in modern psychology” with “No dogma.” We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Ceremonies are listed on its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.