Who is Dr. Pearce from The Favored Child and what is their importance?

Dr. Pearce is the village parson who teaches Richard. Dr. Pearce comes outside the day the lightening hit the church spire when Julia is urging the people to leave the houses that are to be hit and to tear down the next two in order to have a fire break. Dr. Pearce seems to want to intervene but Ralph Megson heads him off.