The word "牧师" (mùshī), meaning "pastor" or "minister", is formed through a meaningful conceptual blend: the first character "牧" means "to shepherd" or "to tend livestock", evoking the image of a shepherd guiding and caring for a flock, while the second character "师" means "master", "teacher", or "professional". Combined, they create the metaphor of a "shepherding master", one who spiritually guides, tends to, and teaches a congregation, much as a shepherd cares for sheep. This term was adopted by Protestant missionaries in China to translate the Western Christian concept of a pastoral leader, directly capturing the core pastoral duty embedded in the biblical tradition.