Upvote:1
The reason for it was to keep people warm, because parts of Germany are very cold. Many of the old churches had individual stoves at the pew where hot bricks were placed to keep people's feet warm. After the Protestant Reformation, the idea of pews from front to back became very popular.
Upvote:7
With the clarification to the question, I realize that this is a multi-answer question. So, here are two answers for you:
Many churches have their church/chapel/meeting area arranged in a circular formation, such that two sides face each other and one side faces the front (example).
This is a pretty common setup. It's just a way for everyone to face the pulpit. It's not a denominational thing, just a logistics thing. There are also similar setups (which are far more common) where the side pews are angled instead of straight inwards facing.
Again, though, that's just a logistics issue.
The Religious Society of Friends (aka Quakers) have their pews set up a bit differently. Their Meeting Houses are generally arranged where the pews or chairs face each other and there is no pulpit. Furthermore, since it's just a meeting of friends, there is no "front" or "back" but more of a "center" and "outside".
This arrangement is primarily used by groups of Quakers that practice "Unprogrammed" meetings (also known as "Silent" meetings). While this is the most common meeting, there are some Programmed Meetings that are more of a traditional speaker/preacher type.
If you're interested in the Quaker Unprogrammed meeting, FGCQuaker.org has a page about silent worship.
Upvote:8
Arrangement of church pews is really not a function of denomination. The denomination I am most familiar with uses both forward-facing pews and inward facing pews .