In 1871 he resigned his work for the Richmond (Va.) Board and came to Tennessee to labor under the auspices of the Mission Board of the East Tennessee General Association. In this position he had his usual marked success.

As a pastor-evangelist, Elder Gilbert held successful meetings with nearly all the leading Baptist country and village churches over several counties in East Tennessee, frequently adding from fifty to seventy-five or eighty converts to the membership of a church from a single meeting, and often doubling the church's financial strength.  Notably was this true in the counties of Claiborne, Hancock, Hawkins, Hamblen, Greene, Grainger, Jefferson, and Cocke. Nearly all the churches of the last-named county received wonderful ingatherings from Brother Gilbert's meetings. It was through his instrumentality and as a result of his great meeting (February, 1876) that the Newport Church was organized, and the money, for the most part, raised, to build their first house of worship.

He was pastor of the following churches: Union Grove, Big Spring, Concord, Warrensburg, Persia, Antioch, Bethel, Clay Creek, and Pleasant Grove. As pastor he indoctrinated his churches faithfully, teaching and urging them to give to all good causes-pastoral and .ministerial support not excepted.

Elder Gilbert witnessed in his meetings about 4,000 conversions and baptisms; and, being always and on all occasions a "doctrinal" preacher and making revival meetings a special occasion for preaching on baptism, "close communion," the doctrine of a New Testament church, and the duty of the churches to support the gospel, he never failed to baptize about all the converts in his meetings, or to get an adequate remuneration for his services.

Elder Gilbert was combative in disposition, and frequently aroused opposition -sometimes made enemies; but he baptized many a sinner, and many a pedo-Baptist as well, whom he first made mad. His preaching generally bordered on the controversial; and if at any time it seemed to him necessary to defend the truth by public debate, he rather gloried in it. During his ministry he had some five or six public debates with the local champions of the Methodist or Presbyterian faith, and never failed to acquit himself creditably or fully sustain the Baptist position.

In his palmy days few men were more powerful in exhortation than Brother Gilbert; not many were better acquainted with the human mind, or better understood the plan of salvation. In dealing with inquirers he was like a skillful physician who understands the disease and knows the remedy and how to apply it.

For half a century Thomas Gilbert was a true yoke-fellow in the gospel with Asa Routh. The last time the writer saw him he was a battle-scarred veteran, retired from the field of conflict but with the trophies of victory about him - a good deal of the old-time fire in him still. "Monday morning I drop in on Brother T. Gilbert at Whitesburg, and find him still suffering with rheumatism but joyously conversing with his brethren about the Lord's work and the condition of our Baptist Zion." (J. J. B., February 9, 1899.)

Brother Gilbert answered the summons to "depart and be with Christ," February 11, 1901; and was followed to the better land by his son, Henry Gilbert, who was a useful minister, March 27, 1909.

By report of committee and unanimous vote the Nolachucky Association memorialized Elder Thomas Gilbert as an "able and effective minister, performing more hard labor, baptizing more people, and organizing more churches than any other single preacher, perhaps, in all the surrounding country being sound in the faith, bold in defense of the truth; he at last
stacked arms at the feet of his great Commander, received an honorable discharge, and went Home to join in a re-union with his worthy comrades, Routh, Baker, and Brown." (J. B. Bundren, for committee.)