Who is Res Grier from Collected Stories of William Faulkner and what is their importance?

Grier is the main character from the story "Shingles for the Lord." Grier is portrayed as a poor farmer who cannot even afford to own his own tools. He is forced to borrow them from neighbors. It appears the most valuable thing Grier owns is a hound dog, and he only has half interest in the dog. In his attempt to get the better of the two men who are working on the church with Grier, he accidentally burns the church to the ground. As a result, the preacher labels Grier as an arsonist. Grier indicates, however, he plans to help rebuild the church despite the preacher's harsh labeling.