I don't know how much "rich and powerful" has to do with it, but you are absolutely right that standing in a pewless church, one feels no distance at all between oneself and one's neighbor, nor distance between oneself and the altar. I had never really thought about it until you put it that way, but this is unquestionably an aspect of that indescribable feeling of being in a full, pewless church.
It really makes you feel like part of the body of Christ, not seperated and regimented. I converted from Luthernism where pews are the norm. Went to a Greek church were pews were still the norm, then went to some other Orthodox churchs, and it took a little getting used to at first, but then you miss not having pews.